Fullmetal Magi Alphonse Magica
by jord477
Summary: Alphonse Elric thought it would be just be another ordinary day, until a mysterious transfer student named Edward transfers into his class, and then Alphonse finds himself thrown into the world of "magic." After being offered the chance to have a wish granted, will Alphonse accept? Or will he break down after learning the horrible secrets that come with the price of a miracle?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Readers! This is just a small idea I came up with last June: "I wondered what it would be like if the Fullmetal Alchemist characters went through the Puella Magi story." So I started writing it down and before I knew it, I started coming up with more and more ideas until I finally got an entire story.**

**I mean, have any of you out there ever noticed how similar Puella Magi is to Fullmetal Alchemist? The two animes go perfectly well together! If you don't believe me, then just read. Hopefully, you'll see what I mean.**

**So, enjoy!**

**I DON'T OWN PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA OR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD!**

* * *

Alphonse Elric was running down a checkered pattern hallway. It seemed to continue forever but he still kept running. Eventually he came across three staircases, one on his left, one on his right, and one in front of him with an EXIT sign at the top of it. Alphonse stopped running and looked at the staircase in front of him, once he saw the EXIT sign, he slowly walked up the stairs that led to it and found a door. He pushed the door open and gasped at the scene before him. Alphonse saw that he was standing at the top of a gigantic dead tree, the sky was grey, the entire town of East City was in ruins, and broken pieces and halves of buildings were floating in the air. There was also a dark monster floating in the sky that was hard to see, but it seemed to have two big gears above it spinning on a poll that attached to the monster. Alphonse ran to some bridges that were close to the tree he was standing on then he ran to the edge of the bridge and looked out to the horizon to get a better view of the monster. Suddenly, he gasped after noticing a figure in the distance standing on one of the buildings that was not yet torn apart. The person was a boy; he was small but looked around Alphonse's age. His hair and eyes were also golden colored just like Alphonse's were but while he had short hair, the other boy's hair was long and put into a braid. He was also wearing black clothes, a big red coat with a hood and a symbol on the back that looked like a snake curled around a cross with a pair of wings hovering over it, a white glove on his left hand, and his right arm seemed to be wearing some kind of metal armor. Hanging from the boy's belt, was a golden colored pocket watch that had a uniquely patterned circle designed on top of it.

The boy leaped into the air and glided towards the monster, but one of the broken buildings being held in the air came crashing down towards him. He stopped in midair once he saw the building coming his way, but just as he did, the building slammed upon him and crashed into the building he was just standing on. However, in a flash of golden light, the boy reappeared at the side of the building completely unharmed, indicating that he avoided the attack. But as he glided through the air, streams of fire came roaming in his direction. He was able to dodge two of them, and he blocked the third one by stretching out his armored arm in front of him to create a barrier shield. Alphonse painfully watched the boy struggle in fighting the monster, knowing that he needed help.

Alphonse – Oh no!

Kyubey – There's no helping it. This was too much for him to handle alone. But he came here knowing that.

Alphonse looked to his right side to see a white cat-like creature that seemed to have two long extra ears growing next to his small ones, watching the battle along with him. He then turned his gaze back to the battle to see the boy running towards the monster, but a blast of fire sent him tumbling through the air and crashing into one of the branches of the giant tree.

Alphonse – No way! This shouldn't be happening!

The boy regained consciousness as he lay against the tree branch and he looked down to see Alphonse staring in his direction. The boy's face filled with worry and fear once he saw Alphonse and he tried shouting out to him, but his words couldn't be heard. The creature sitting beside Alphonse then faced him.

Kyubey – If he gives up, it's over. But you have the power to change fate itself…

Alphonse looked at the creature curiously; suddenly a broken side-street light flickered, which startled him a little.

Kyubey – All this inevitable destruction and tragedy… You can change it, if you want. The power to do so lies within you.

Alphonse stepped forward a little and once again his eyes filled with curiosity.

Alphonse – Is that true?

The boy was now falling, but he still tried calling out to Alphonse, however he still couldn't hear him as he watched the boy fall down through the air.

Alphonse – Can someone like me really do something to help? Could I really prevent everything from turning out this way?

Kyubey – Of course you could. So make a contract with me… and become a magical contractor!

Alphonse looked down unsure for a moment, then he looked up again with fierce determination in his eyes. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and found himself in bed, clinging to a giant stuffed animal cat. It was morning and Alphonse seemed to have just woken up. He sat up and stayed silent for a while before he sighed and put his head down on his stuffed animal cat.

Alphonse – It was all a dream?

* * *

Alphonse got up and got changed, then he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, and comb his hair. Once he was ready, he went downstairs to the kitchen to see his mother, Trisha Elric making breakfast.

Alphonse – Good morning, Mom!

Trisha turned around to see her son.

Trisha – Good morning, Al. Breakfast is ready.

Alphonse – All right!

Alphonse happily raced over to the table and Trisha smiled as she watched her son look as cheerful as always. She brought two breakfast plates over to the table and set one in front of Alphonse. Then she sat down next to him and put the other plate in front of herself. Alphonse and Trisha looked at each other and smiled, then they put their hands together and closed their eyes.

Alphonse and Trisha – It's time to eat.

As the two ate their breakfast, they began their usual conversation.

Trisha – So what's been happening at school lately?

Alphonse – May gave me another love letter. She didn't sign her name, but I can still tell it was from her since I recognized the handwriting and the vocabulary she used.

Trisha – I see. How are you going to reply?

Alphonse – I'm still not sure.

Trisha – It's not good for boys too keep girls waiting after they make a confession, Al. The same thing happened with your father.

Alphonse – Really? Dad too?

Trisha – Yes. It was a long time before he finally gathered up the courage to respond.

Alphonse – I see.

Trisha – How's Izumi-san doing?

Alphonse – Sensei's new relationship is going really well this time. She always finds time to mention him during homeroom and she seems really happy. It will be their 3-month anniversary this week, so I guess that's a new record.

Trisha – That's great. Perhaps she finally found the right man. Although, it seems that this is the time where they will meet a crucial juncture.

Alphonse – Really?

Trisha – Yes. If their love isn't strong enough, then things start to fall apart around this time in a relationship. We can only hope things will turn out well.

Alphonse – If that's the case, then I'm a bit worried. Sensei's always had an aggressive nature.

Alphonse's face turned purple and he started shaking.

Alphonse – She already scares everyone in class enough as it it.

Trisha looked at her son nervously since she knew he was right. Suddenly, she looked up at the clock and noticed the time.

Trisha – Oh, Al you better hurry or you'll be late.

Alphonse – Huh?! Right!

Alphonse ate more quickly and decided to carry his bread with jam with him once he finished the rest of his breakfast. He quickly cleared his dishes, gave his mom a quick hug, and headed out the door.

Alphonse – I'm heading out!

Trisha – Have a nice day, sweetie!

Alphonse popped the rest of his bread into his mouth as he ran down the road to get to school.

* * *

After a while, Alphonse finally caught up with his two friends that were waiting for him, May Chang and Winry Rockbell. The two girls smiled and looked behind them as they saw him coming.

Alphonse – Good morning!

May – Good morning, Alphonse-sama.

Winry – Al, you're late!

Alphonse – Sorry, Winry.

The three friends then ran off together down the road, giggling happily. Soon they just started walking again and talked along the way.

May – So Alphonse-sama, did you happen to find something interesting in your locker yesterday?

Alphonse – Yeah, thank you for your letter, May.

May's face suddenly turned bright red since she didn't expect Alphonse to figure out the letter was from her.

May – Wh-what are you talking about? I-I don't know anything about a love letter! What love letter?

May put her hand on her head and laughed out loud as she tried to deny that the letter was from her. Of course she didn't seem to be fooling Alphonse or Winry at all.

Alphonse – If you really didn't know anything about about it, then how did you know it was a love letter?

May froze as soon as Alphonse pointed out her mistake.

May – Didn't you say it was a love letter, Alphonse-sama?

Alphonse – No.

Winry giggled a little.

Winry – Just to be expected from Al. Were you able to tell by paying attention to the words she used and the writing format?

Alphonse – Exactly.

Winry – No surprise there. You've always been smart enough to do stuff like that, Al. It makes me kind of jealous.

May turned her head around after she snapped out of her faze. Her face was blushing and she was smiling shyly.

May – Um, did you really like it, Alphonse-sama?

Alphonse – Yes, it was very nice.

May put her hands on her cheeks and entered a mode of extreme happiness.

May – I'm so happy to hear you say that, Alphonse-sama! I'll forever wait for your reply!

Winry then looked to the sky.

Winry – Love letters huh? I don't see what's the big deal about them.

Alphonse and May turned to Winry with surprised looks on their faces. May although looked even more shocked.

May – What?! You've never once wish to receive one?! Have you ever even thought of giving one to somebody?

Winry – Not really.

Alphonse – Why not?

Winry – All this talk about love… it just doesn't interest me.

Alphonse – Really? That's kind of unexpected of you, Winry.

Winry suddenly grew a crafty smile.

Winry – Besides, I don't have time to worry about love letters anyway.

May – Why is that?

Winry – Because I have to keep an eye on Al and make sure girls like you don't steal him away, May.

May – What?!

Winry grabbed Alphonse's left arm and pulled him close to her.

Winry – After all, I've known Al much longer than you have. There's no way I'm going to let someone else take him that easily.

May – Winry! No fair! You and Alphonse-sama have always been childhood friends! You can't keep hogging him to yourself like this!

May then grabbed Alphonse's other arm and pulled him closer to her.

Winry – Al doesn't belong to you either!

The two girls kept tugging on Alphonse's arms, trying to pull him to themselves, while he just sighed and didn't bother trying to stop his friends since he knew this would go on for a while. Winry and May kept fighting over Alphonse, even though they didn't notice they were already right in front of the school.

* * *

Not too long later, the bell for homeroom rang and all the kids in the classroom flinched after they heard their teacher, Izumi Curtis slam her bare fist straight onto her teacher's desk, indicating that she was in a bad mood.

Izumi – Now everyone! You all had better be paying attention because I have something very important to discuss with all of you today! When frying an egg, should it be fried sunny side-up or over hard?! Answer me Nakazawa!

Izumi pointed her finger at one of the boys in the class and looked at him with a death glare. Not to mention her voice was already very powerful and scary sounding.

Nakazawa – Huh?! U-um, well–Th-they can be fried either way, can't they?

Izumi – Precisely! They can be fried either way! That is exactly why for a man to judge a woman's attractiveness by the way she fries her eggs is the biggest mistake he could ever wish to make!

Izumi slammed her fist on the desk again. She hit the desk so hard that she actually made a cracked dent in it, which scared the rest of the class.

Izumi – That being said… girls–Don't ever think about dating men who are too wimpy to eat fried eggs done over hard.

Winry looked behind her and whispered to Alphonse, since he sat in the desk behind hers.

Winry – I guess it didn't work out again.

Alphonse – I guess not. But I still feel sorry for the guy. Sensei must have at least put him in the hospital if she didn't kill him.

Izumi – And boys–You'd better not grow up to become some petty morons who can't do anything but fuss over how your eggs are done!

Izumi huffed, then her anger seemed to melt away and she appeared much calmer.

Izumi – With that out of the way, let's welcome our new transfer student.

Winry – Shouldn't that have come first?

Winry made sure to whisper very quietly to make sure Izumi didn't hear her, since she might kill her if she did.

Izumi – Then Chrono, come on in.

A short boy with long golden hair tied into a braid along with golden eyes walked into the classroom. All the other students gasped after seeing him, they commented on his long hair, and said that he looked pretty handsome. A few kids however, also commented on his height, which made the boy give those kids a cold and scary glance that sent shivers down their spines and gave everyone in the class the message that he didn't like being called short. Winry looked at the new student curiously.

Winry – That's the transfer student?

Alphonse watched the boy walk into the classroom strangely as well, suddenly he gasped after realizing something. The transfer student looked just like the boy from his dream. Every feature was exactly the same.

Alphonse – No way! It couldn't be him!

The boy got to the front of the classroom and stood next to Izumi.

Izumi – Now, please introduce yourself.

Edward – I'm Edward Chrono. It's nice to meet you all.

Izumi began writing Edward's name on the board but she stopped once she noticed that he stopped talking.

Izumi – Please continue.

Edward put down his bag, turned towards the board, and finished writing the rest of his name by himself. All of the other kids stared in awe at him; Izumi herself didn't expect her new student to introduce himself by finishing what she started. Once he was finished writing, he bowed down to the class to finish his introduction. Everyone clapped for Edward, as they were impressed by his performance. He then turned his head and focused his gaze on Alphonse, who noticed Edward staring at him and felt a little nervous. Edward kept kept his eyes on Alphonse even as Izumi spoke again.

Izumi – If that's all, then you may take your seat. There's a free desk next to Nakazawa.

* * *

Later on during break, girls and boys from the class crowded around Edward to ask him questions. Unlike before, his eyes and expressions were softer.

Random Girl – So, Chrono-kun… What school did you come from?

Edward – A special all-boys school in Tokyo.

Another Random Girl – Did you do any club activities at your old school? How about sports? Or cultural activities?

Edward – I wasn't in any clubs.

Random Boy – Man, your hair is so long. Isn't it a hassle to deal with everyday?

May, Winry, and Alphonse were sitting together, watching their classmates interrogate Edward.

May – It seems that Edward-san has already become quite popular.

May looked over at Winry and Alphonse and noticed the looks on their faces.

May – What's wrong you two?

Winry – I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about that guy that makes me feel weird. But not like in a bad way…

May – Ah! Could it be…? Winry, do you have a crush on the new student?

Winry – What?! No not like that!

May – Okay, okay, I get it. Then what about you, Alphonse-sama?

Alphonse – Well…

Winry – Now that I think about it, Al… Was it just me or was he glaring at you earlier?

Back with Edward, he put his hand to his head and looked down slightly.

Edward – Sorry. I think today might have been a bit too stressful for me. I'm suddenly not feeling too good. Would you allow me to excuse myself to the Nurse's Office?

Random Boy – Sure, I'll take you there if you want. What are pals for?

Random Girl – No please, let me show you the way there.

Another Random Girl – I'll come too!

Edward – That's all right. You don't need to trouble yourselves. I'll just ask the person in charge.

Edward got up and walked away from the other students, towards May, Winry, and Alphonse. The three of them watched as Edward approached them and stared directly at Alphonse.

Edward – Alphonse Elric. You're the Nurse's Aide for the class, right?

Alphonse – Um, yes…

Edward – Then, would you mind showing me the way? To the Nurse's Office, that is.

The two were then shown as they began walking down the school halls together. Edward was leading up front with Alphonse following behind, which made it seem more like Edward was the one taking Alphonse to the Nurse's Office. As they passed through the hallways, Edward received many stares from all of the students from the other classes. Just like their classmates, many of the students were saying that he looked handsome but short as well, which resulted in them all receiving scary and dangerous glances from Edward that got them to stop mentioning his height. Alphonse still felt a bit awkward as he followed Edward, however.

Alphonse – Um… How did you know I was the Nurse's Aide?

Edward was silent for a moment and Alphonse thought that he wasn't going to answer at first, until Edward spoke again.

Edward – Sensei told me.

Alphonse – Oh, I see. Then, the Nurse's Office is…

Alphonse stopped talking once he saw Edward turn the correct corner without hesitation.

Edward – This way, right?

Alphonse – Yeah. But, it seems like you already know how to get there…

Edward didn't say anything as the two kept walking. Alphonse smiled nervously and still tried to talk to him.

Alphonse – Um… Chrono-san?

Edward clenched his teeth as soon as he heard Alphonse address him.

Edward – You can just call me Edward.

Alphonse – Then, Edward?

Edward – What is it?

Alphonse – Well… that's a pretty interesting name you have.

Edward remained silent.

Alphonse – I mean, I didn't mean anything weird by that. It just kind of reminded me of someone…

Edward gritted his teeth again, then he sharply turned around to directly face Alphonse, who stopped in his tracks once Edward turned around. The two of them were currently standing in the middle of a glass bridge hallway that connected two buildings of the school. Edward's gaze hardened once again as he looked at Alphonse.

Edward – Alphonse Elric. Do you treasure the life you currently live? Do you consider your family and friends precious?

Alphonse – What?

Alphonse felt a bit surprised and confused, but he decided to answer Edward's question.

Alphonse – Yes, I do. Both my family and my friends are very precious to me. I love them all very much!

Edward – Do you really?

Alphonse – Of course I do! I couldn't lie about that!

Edward – I see. In that case, then don't even think about changing the person you currently are. Or else, you will end up losing all of those things.

Alphonse stared at Edward in confusion.

Edward – You just stay the way you currently are, Alphonse Elric.

Edward started to turn around again.

Edward – Do that, and everything in your life will remain the way as it should be.

Edward turned around completely and continued to head for the Nurse's Office. Alphonse didn't move and continued to watch Edward, trying to figure out the meaning behind his words as he let them sink into his head.

* * *

Later on during math class, the teacher called Edward up to the board. He solved every question quickly, efficiently, and correctly, which deeply amazed the other students. He was quite the prodigy during P.E. as well; he was incredibly fast and extremely agile. The exercise that day was the high jump. When it was Edward's turn, he angled his body perfectly as he leaped over the bar and his landing wasn't too bad either. All the students cheered and even the P.E. teacher was shockingly impressed by his athletic skills.

P.E. Teacher – I-I think that's a prefecture record…

As a crowd of students gathered around Edward to tell him how cool and amazing he was, he took another glance at Alphonse, who was standing with Winry and May as usual. Alphonse flinched nervously once he saw Edward glancing at him again, which Winry and May noticed as well. As all the students participated in their P.E. activities, a pair of eyes blinked twice and the silhouette of a cat-like creature that looked like the one from Alphonse's dream was shown sitting in a bush by the school, watching the students. After school, Alphonse, Winry, and May went to the cafe in the mall together and he began telling his friends what Edward said to him.

Winry – Huh?! He said WHAT?!

Alphonse – I don't entirely understand it… but I think he was trying to warn me about something.

Winry – Despite being the size of a shrimp, that guy's grifted with looks, brains, and athletics. Now you're telling me he can see the future?!

May – I think you're being a bit too dramatic about that last part, Winry.

Winry – I know, it's just that I've been suspicious of that transfer student all day, and now that you've told me this, I think it's too much for my mind to take anymore!

Winry put her head on the table.

May – But, Edward-san seemed to have been really interested in you, Alphonse-sama. You wouldn't happen to already know him, would you?

Alphonse – Well, not exactly.

Winry – What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying you've met somewhere before?

Alphonse – Well… You see, I kind of saw him in my dream last night.

Winry and May both started laughing.

Winry – No way! That's awesome, Al! I never expected it to be this deep!

Winry laughed as she spoke, obviously making a joke out of the situation. Alphonse wasn't amused however.

Aphonse – That's mean, Winry! I'm really serious about this!

Winry – It's as if you two have known each other in a previous life, and were brought back together by fate across time and space after being separated in order to meet once again!

May stopped laughing and looked curious for a moment.

May – It actually wouldn't surprise me that much if that were true.

Both Winry and Alphonse looked at her confusedly.

Alphonse – What do you mean, May?

May – Well for one reason, I've noticed how you look really similar to Edward-san, Alphonse-sama. Such as how both of you have the same hair and eye color.

Winry – Now that you mention it, they do… Wait.

Winry grew a small grin on her face and she turned towards May.

Winry – May, does this mean you're going to start crushing on Edward too?

May's face automatically turned red again.

May – Wh-what do you mean by crushing?! It's nothing like that between me and Alphonse-sama!

Winry – You admitted this morning that you gave him a love letter.

May – Besides, Edward-san may be cool and good looking, but he just isn't my type.

Winry – Is that so? In any way… Al? You said you saw him in your dream, right? What kind of dream was it?

Alphonse – Well, I don't remember much of it anymore. It was a really strange dream, though…

May – Mysterious… Maybe you actually have met Edward-san somewhere before. You probably don't directly remember, but it's possible that your mind holds a small fragment of him somewhere.

Alphonse looked down and thought about what May had said.

Winry – It really is strange isn't it?

May then looked down at her watch and noticed the time.

May – Huh? It's already this late? I'm sorry, but I have to go now.

Winry – Martial arts practice again?

May – Yeah. I enjoy them, but they can really be such a pain. Especially with Entrance Exams coming up.

Alphonse – At least you're not being taught by Sensei. I think I'm too scared to ever learn martial arts under her again.

Alphonse shuddered and he looked a little frightened as well. Winry and May then giggled.

Winry – Good thing you learned a long time ago then, Al. I'm already scared enough as it is just being in her homeroom class.

May picked up her tray of food and walked away to dispose of it.

Alphonse – Then, shall we get going too?

Winry – Wait a minute, Al. We still have time. Want to take a look around the other shops before we go?

Alphonse – Sure, especially the mechanic shops right?

Winry put her hand behind her head, closed her eyes, and let out a small, guilty laugh.

Winry – Well, yeah.

The three friends walked out of the cafe together until they came to the escalators. Alphonse and Winry waved goodbye to May as she headed down.

May – See you guys later!

Alphonse – Bye, May!

Winry – See you tomorrow!

Alphonse and Winry turned around to head for the mechanic stores.

* * *

Meanwhile, the white cat-creature from before was running through a dark hallway. As the creature was running, beams of golden light appeared to be chasing after it, although it was managing to dodge each one. One beam however did hit the creature and send it flying a little. The creature slid across the floor a little due to the impact when it hit the ground, but it managed to quickly get up and keep running before another beam struck it again. Not too far away, someone who had long hair tied into a braid and looked to be wearing a big coat jumped down and then stood up in the hallway. It was hard to see all of the person's features because of the darkness, but what was certainly clear was the frown on the person's face as he looked in the direction the cat-creature had taken. The person then ran forward and continued to pursue the creature.

Back with Alphonse and Winry, who were now in the shopping district, Winry's eyes were big and sparkling as she looked at the displayed tools sitting by the window inside a certain mechanical shop.

Winry – Amazing! Look at all those wonderful parts! And those beautiful, flawless tools! Mixed together with the smell of oil…! It's absolutely heaven!

Alphonse stood behind Winry and watched her dance around in happiness.

Alphonse – Is that so? I'm really happy for you.

Alphonse then looked over to his right and saw the jewelry store. He smiled and walked over to look at the displayed jewelry through the window. It was mainly the earrings that caught his eye.

Alphonse – Wow, these look nice. Winry would love earrings like these. I wonder if I should buy them as a present?

Alphonse looked back at Winry to make sure she didn't hear what he said. He giggled as he watched her continue to fantasize about her deep love for mechanics.

Kyubey – (Help me…)

Alphonse felt startled once he heard the voice, and looked around confusedly. It didn't exactly sound like someone directly called to him, but more like someone was talking to him through the mind.

Kyubey – (Help me… Alphonse…)

Alphonse gasped once he heard the voice again and put his hand to his ear to try to hear more clearly.

Kyubey – (Please… save me…)

Alphonse began walking away to try to find the source of the voice. The voice itself sounded familiar and even though Alphonse didn't know who was calling him or how the owner of the voice knew his name, the voice itself sounded distressed and in danger, which was what worried him much more. Winry turned around and noticed the concerned and confused look on Alphonse's face as he slowly walked off, which made her curious. Alphonse walked to the back of the mall as he kept searching.

Alphonse – Who is it? Who's there?

Kyubey – (Save me…)

Alphonse looked up to see that the voice was coming from up the staircase to the entrance of a closed area. He knew that children weren't allowed to go inside prohibited places like these, but whoever was calling him was definitely behind that door, so he cautiously went up the stairs, opened the door, and went inside. Alphonse slowly walked through the dark hallways that only had small red lights to guide him.

Alphonse – Where are you? Who are you?

Kyubey – (Save me…)

Alphonse soon began to slow down since the voice sounded really close now. Suddenly he looked up to see the ceiling shake a little and he backed away slightly as he watched the ceiling. One ceiling tile then fell off the ceiling and some kind of creature fell out and landed right in front of Alphonse, who was startled once the ceiling broke but then he looked down at the floor to see the same white cat-creature from his dream, except that it was unconscious, covered in cuts and gashes, and was breathing heavily. Alphonse gasped once he saw the injured creature, then he ran over to it, kneeled down, and picked it up into his arms. The creature looked like it was in lots of pain.

Alphonse – Was it you?

Kyubey – Save… me…

A few chains that were being held up in front of Alphonse suddenly fell down. The sound of the clang caused him to sharply look up, and right in front of him, he saw Edward wearing the exact same clothes and metal arm he was wearing in his dream. Edward's expression was hard as he looked at Alphonse.

Alphonse – Edward…?

Edward – Get away from that thing!

Alphonse – But… he's hurt!

Alphonse was very surprised by the whole chain of events, but his mind mainly focused on protecting the injured creature, since he had a feeling that Edward had something to do with its injuries.

Alphonse – D-did you do this? No! Don't hurt him!

Edward – This has nothing to do with you.

Edward walked forward.

Alphonse – But he was calling me! I could hear him begging me to save him!

Edward – Is that so? Using dirty tricks…

Edward's glare looked dangerous now and Alphonse was feeling pretty scared, since he didn't know what Edward was going to do. However, before either of them could make a move, a large blast of smoke shot straight at Edward, which created a field of smoke that separated the boys. Alphonse looked to his right to see Winry using a fire extinguisher to keep Edward away from him.

Winry – Al! Over here!

Alphonse – Winry!

Alphonse quickly and happily raced over to Winry's side while carrying the creature in his arms. Once he got to her, she threw the fire extinguisher away and the two ran off. Edward, who was caught in the center of the extinguisher's smoke, raised his metal arm up and swung it, which created some kind of force that instantly blew away all the smoke and emptied the hallways. He looked a bit annoyed since Alphonse and Winry had already disappeared, but then he gasped as soon as he saw circles of butterflies surround him and the hallways begin to change dramatically. He looked around his new surroundings and gritted his teeth out of annoyance.

Edward – Now, of all times…!

* * *

Winry and Alphonse kept running, with Winry up front and Alphonse following behind.

Winry – What is with him?! Now he's attacking you in some fancy getup?!

Alphonse – It wasn't me he was attacking, it was him!

Winry – "Him?" Then, it's not a stuffed animal? It's alive?

Alphonse – I don't know. I don't know what he is or what any of this stuff means. But we have to save him!

As Winry and Alphonse kept running, the hallways began changing around them exactly as how they were changing around Edward. The area around them completely changed as soon as they got to the exit.

Winry – Huh?! Where did the exit go? What is this place?!

Winry and Alphonse looked around their new surroundings, not liking what they were seeing at all.

Alphonse – There's something wrong here. The path keeps changing!

Winry – I've just about had enough! What's going on?!

Suddenly, Alphonse heard some strange laughter and turned around to see something sneaking up on him and Winry.

Alphonse – Winry! There's something over there!

Strange creatures that had cotton ball heads with mustaches, bodies and arms made out of stems, and butterflies for feet were watching Winry and Alphonse and were creepily giggling. The strange beings began chanting something Winry and Alphonse couldn't understand, which made the two of them huddle closer together. Both of them were feeling really scared now. The cotton ball creatures completely surrounded the two friends and started moving even closer.

Winry – Th-this is just a joke, right? I'm only dreaming right, Al?!

Thorn branches and scissors that seemed to be coming from the cotton ball creatures began closing in and snipping at Winry and Alphonse. Unnatural black eyes and inhuman mouths even began to appear on the creatures as they came closer. Winry and Alphonse were terrified out of their minds and held each other very close. Suddenly, they heard the sound of chains breaking and a long chain fell down and formed a giant circle around them. Once the chains completely landed, a bunch of flames shot out and knocked away the cotton ball creatures trying to hurt Winry ad Alphonse. After the flames shot out, a bright orange light that felt warm and safe like a fire in a fireplace spread out beneath the pair across the floor, which calmed them down a little, but still left them completely shocked.

Winry – H-huh?!

Alphonse – What is that?

Roy – That was too close! But you're safe now.

Winry and Alphonse turned around to see a man with dark hair and eyes walking towards them. The man was grinning and he had a chain in his left hand along with a silver pocket watch about the size of his palm in his right hand. The watch was open and the inside was glowing a bright reddish/orange color. A red circle that had an unusual pattern was slowly spinning above the open watch as well. As the man walked towards the two friends, he noticed the cat-creature in Alphonse's arms.

Roy – Oh! You rescued Kyubey? Thank you.

Winry – You know him?

Roy – Yes. He's a friend of mine.

Alphonse – I heard his voice call out to me inside my head. I followed it and it led me to him.

Roy – Ahh, I see. Judging by your uniforms, you both must be students at East City Middle School. Are you second-years?

Alphonse – Yes, but…

Winry – Who are you?

Roy – That's right, I haven't introduced myself yet.

More thorn branches and scissors started rising out of the ground and began to crowd the three.

Roy – But, before that…

The man quickly spun around and tossed his pocket watch into the air, then he stomped his foot down and created the same circle that was hovering his pocket watch earlier underneath his feet. Once he did that, the man grabbed his pocket watch with both of his hands and held it out in front of him.

Roy – Let me just wrap up a bit of work real quick.

The inside of the pocket watch glowed even brighter until a burst of reddish/orange light shot out of it and surrounded the man. The burst of light also sent a gust of wind back towards Alphonse and Winry, who closed their eyes so they wouldn't be blinded by the bright light and shielded themselves with their arms to keep themselves from being blown away. When the wind stopped blowing, Alphonse and Winry opened their eyes to see that the man's old clothes had changed into a blue suit that looked similar to a military uniform except it had a different structure along with different designs. The man's pocket watch was now closed and attached to his waist, it's outside color completely changed from silver to reddish/orange, and the top of the watch was also designed with the same circle he had used before.

The cotton ball creatures began swarming around the man, who was now standing further away from Alphonse and Winry in order to keep them safe. Once the creatures crowded together, the man leaped into the air, raised his right arm out, and snapped his fingers; instantly about a hundred white muskets with flame like designs appeared at all of his sides. When they all fired, they shot giant blasts of flame bullets that instantly destroyed all of the cotton ball creatures. The man flipped back down to the ground and stood in front of the smoke along with the magical butterfly fragments that were all what was left of the creatures. Alphonse and Winry watched the entire thing in amazement and stared at the man with admiration.

Winry – A-amazing…!

Alphonse – That was incredible!

Suddenly, the hallways began changing back to normal, which relieved Alphonse and Winry. Suddenly, Edward appeared above the three, standing on a higher platform. Alphonse and Winry felt nervous again once they saw him, but the man that saved them looked at Edward with a calm grin.

Roy – The witch already escaped. If you want to finish it off, you'd better go after it right now. I'll allow you to take it this time.

Edward – Unfortunately, I have business here, Mustang.

Roy – You don't read between the lines very well, do you? I'm telling you I'll overlook what you did this time.

Edward's expression hardened even more. Mustang however kept his grin.

Roy – Don't you think it would be better for both of us if we didn't cause needless trouble?

Edward glanced at Alphonse and Winry and noticed their nervous expressions, then he turned his gaze back to Mustang, who was still grinning. Edward finally turned around and jumped out of sight, allowing Alphonse and Winry to let out a sigh of relief. Mustang turned around as well to face them.

* * *

Afterwards, the three were kneeling on the floor, huddling around Kyubey, who was currently being healed by Mustang. His hands were hovering over Kyubey, producing a bright orange light while his circle was slowly spinning underneath Kyubey's body. Once his wounds had all healed, he opened his eyes and sat up to face Mustang.

Kyubey – Thank you, Roy! You're a lifesaver.

Roy – I just happened to be passing by. The ones you should really be thanking are these kids.

Kyubey turned towards Alphonse and Winry.

Kyubey – Thank you very much. My name is Kyubey.

Alphonse – You were the one that called me here, right?

Kyubey – Yes, I was, Alphonse Elric. And you, Winry Rockbell.

Alphonse and Winry looked startled.

Winry – How do you know our names?

Kyubey – I came here because I have a request for you two.

Alphonse – What is it?

Kyubey – I want you to make contracts with me and become magical contractors!

* * *

**Well… Hope you liked it so far. Please review and tell me what you think.**

**I'll have the next chapter up and running in a jiffy!**

**(BTW - Edward and Alphonse are still brothers in this story. There's a reason why Edward's last name is different and why Alphonse and Winry don't know him.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, I'm back! Told you I would have the next chapter out in a jiffy. I'll try my best to make sure each chapter gets uploaded as quickly as possible. In the meantime just enjoy the story and review if you have any questions or comments.**

**Thanks, here you go!**

* * *

Later that evening, Roy invited Alphonse and Winry over to his house.

Roy – I am Roy Mustang. I'm a former colonel from the Central military.

Winry – You were a soldier?

Roy – Yes. But now… I am one who has made a contract with Kyubey – a magical contractor!

The three walked together until they got to Roy's house. He opened the door and looked at Alphonse and Winry, who bowed to show their gratitude before entering. Alphonse and Winry gasped in amazement once they came inside.

Winry – Wow…

Alphonse – Your house looks amazing, Mustang-san!

Roy – Thank you. I live alone, so feel free to make yourselves comfortable while I go prepare some refreshments.

Alphonse and Winry sat down with Roy at the table in his living room with glasses of juice and plates of simple homemade cake set in front of each of them.

Alphonse – Mustang-san! This is delicious!

Winry – It really is! Did you make this yourself?

Roy – Yes. But it's just leftovers from a simple recipe. I don't normally bake sweets.

Alphonse – Even so, it's still really good.

Roy – Thank you. Since you two have been chosen by Kyubey as well, it means you are now involved in all of this. So I thought there were a few things we should go over.

Winry smiled nervously.

Winry – O-okay, then ask us anything you want. I guess…

Alphonse – Winry… He meant an explanation for us.

Winry – Oh! That makes much more sense.

Roy chuckled a little, then he held his left hand out and opened it to reveal his silver pocket watch, which was now closed.

Alphonse – Is that the same watch from earlier?

Roy – Yes. This is a Soul Timer. When Kyubey makes a contract with a person, a Soul Timer is born. It is the source of our magic, and also the proof that we are magical contractors. The circle on top is the magic circle that represents the power of each individual contractor.

Winry – What are exactly are these "contracts" you keep talking about?

Kyubey – I will grant you one wish - any wish you desire!

Alphonse and Winry looked at Kyubey in surprise.

Winry – Huh? Really?!

Alphonse – You can do that?!

Kyubey – Yes, anything at all. I can grant you even the most impossible of miracles!

Winry looked intrigued and amazed.

Winry – So we could wish for riches and treasures? Or eternal youth? Or even every known tool and machine parts a mechanic could own?!

Winry closed her eyes and put her hand to her cheek as she beamed happily from her last thought. Alphonse gave her a small smile.

Alphonse – I knew you would say something like that.

Kyubey – Yes, but in exchange for that wish, your Soul Timer is created. Those who possess a Soul Timer are duty-bound to do battle with wraiths and witches.

Alphonse – Wraiths and witches?

Winry – What exactly are wraiths and witches? Are they different from magical contractors?

Kyubey – If magical contractors can be said to be born from wishes, then wraiths and witches are creatures born from curses. Just as magical contractors spread hope to the world, wraiths and witches spread despair. And since they're invisible to regular humans, it makes their evil all the more insidious. Anxiety and mistrust… Irrational rage and hatred… They sow the seeds of disaster throughout the world.

Roy – Many of the inexplicable suicides and murders that occur… are caused by a wraith or witch's curse. Their formless darkness grows within the cursed human… until it consumes him from the inside out.

Alphonse – Really?

Winry – If these things are so dangerous, why don't people know about them yet?

Kyubey – Because wraiths and witches hide themselves deep within the labyrinths they create… and take care never to appear before human eyes. That maze-like place you wandered into today was a labyrinth.

Roy – The truth is, they're very dangerous. Humans who stray into them usually don't make it out alive.

Alphonse – And Mustang-san, you fight such creatures?

Roy – Yes, often at the risk of my life.

Winry – But, you used to be in the military, right? Then, doesn't that mean you're used to doing stuff like this?

Roy – That's true. I won't deny it. But you should know already that the duty of a soldier is not a duty any normal person can carry out. The horrors and sins you must see and accept are enough to drive any sane person mad. And the duty of a magical contractor isn't all that different.

Alphonse and Winry looked very shocked and slightly horrified.

Roy – That's why you two should think very carefully before deciding to become magical contractors. Having been chosen by Kyubey, you have the rare chance to have any wish granted. But remember that that wish lies side-by-side with death.

Alphonse looked even more stunned. Then Winry looked up slightly at the ceiling, feeling uneasy about the situation herself.

Winry – This is a tough choice.

Alphonse looked down with uneasiness.

Roy – Perhaps it would help you make up your minds if you came along with me on a few wraith and witch hunts?

Alphonse and Winry – Huh?!

Roy – It's better for you to see for yourself what it's like to do battle with wraiths and witches. Also… you should think long and hard about whether there's something you want badly enough to be worth putting yourself in danger.

Alphonse and Winry were silent for a moment, then Alphonse suddenly remembered something.

Alphonse – Um, Mustang-san?

Roy – What is it?

Alphonse – That boy from before, Edward… he's a transfer student in our class. But, is he a magical contractor too?

Roy – Yes, he is. And a powerful one at that.

Winry looked confused.

Winry – But that means he hunts wraiths and witches too, right? So why did he attack Kyubey?

Kyubey – It seemed like he was trying to prevent me from contracting a new magical contractor.

Now both Alphonse and Winry were confused.

Alphonse – Huh?

Winry – Why? Magical contractors all fight to protect people, right? Wouldn't it be better to have more allies fighting the same enemy?

Roy – That's not necessarily the case.

Alphonse and Winry turned their attention back to Roy.

Roy – It's actually more common for the job to get competitive.

Alphonse – Why?

Roy – There are certain rewards one can gain from defeating wraiths and witches. That's why sometimes, depending on the time and situation, we contractors may end up battling one another for the right to have them.

Alphonse – No way…

Winry – Then, the reason Edward was staring at Al all day today… was because he knew Kyubey was trying to get to him?

Roy – Most likely, yes.

Alphonse thought back to when Edward warned him on their way to the Nurse's Office.

* * *

The next day, Alphonse and Trisha were once again shown in their kitchen eating breakfast together.

Trisha – Al, you should know to call me first when you're going to be home late.

Alphonse – Sorry, Mom. I got invited over to a friend's house.

Trisha sighed.

Trisha – I know you're old enough to be responsible for yourself. But, please make sure to let me know where you are before dinner if something has come up, all right?

Alphonse – Okay.

Alphonse looked over to see Kyubey sitting on one of the chairs at the table, watching both him and Trisha.

Alphonse – (Normal people really can't see him…)

Alphonse continued to eat until he thought of something.

Alphonse – Hey… Mom?

Trisha – What is it?

Alphonse – Say that… If someone offered to magically grant you any wish in the world, what would you do?

Trisha looked at Alphonse for a moment, then she looked down at her breakfast plate.

Trisha – Well… that seems to be a hard choice. I already have so many wonderful things in my life that make me happy. A nice warm house, good food, a nice job… and I have you, Al.

Alphonse – Really?

Trisha – Yes, I don't think that there's anything more I could possibly want, or even deserve. But, then again… wishes are rare opportunities and not everyone gets to have one. I guess if I did get one, I probably wouldn't want to waste it. Perhaps…

Alphonse looked at Trisha with concern, noticing the sadness in her eyes.

Alphonse – Mom?

Trisha – No, it's nothing. But that really is a tough decision. Why did you ask, Al?

Alphonse – Just a hypothetical question.

Trisha – I see. Well, we better finish our breakfast, or else we'll be late.

Trisha continued to eat, but Alphonse kept watching her.

Alphonse – (I get it, Mom. You were going to say that you wanted to get back together with Dad, weren't you? I know how much you miss him.)

* * *

Later on, Winry and May were already walking to school together. Alphonse hadn't shown up yet.

Alphonse – Winry! May! Good morning!

May – Good morning, Alphonse-sama.

Winry – Good morning, A-AH!

Alphonse smiled at his friends as he walked towards them with Kyubey riding on his shoulder.

Kyubey – Good morning, Winry!

Winry still looked startled, which confused May.

May – What's wrong, Winry?

Winry – N-nothing.

Winry walked over to Alphonse and whispered to him so May couldn't hear.

Winry – Are we really the only ones that can see him?

Alphonse – Yes.

May looked puzzled.

May – What are you two talking about?

Winry – D-don't worry, it's nothing! L-let's go!

Winry walked back up to May and started walking down the road with her again, but Alphonse stayed still for a moment and kept smiling.

Alphonse – (We can talk to each other just by thinking like this.)

Winry suddenly stopped once she heard Alphonse's voice in her head, then she turned around abruptly and faced him with a shocked look on her face, but she managed to hold in her words.

Winry – (You mean we already have those kind of powers?)

Kyubey – (No, no. I'm just acting as an intermediary between your thoughts right now. But it's handy being able to talk telepathically, isn't it?)

Alphonse finally started walking and Winry followed after him, but May stayed behind.

Winry – (This feels kind of weird. It might take a while for me to get used to this.)

May – What's going on with you two? You've been staring so intently into one another's eyes…

Alphonse and Winry turned around to face May, who then suddenly dropped her bag.

May – Don't tell me… You're now close enough to communicate through your eyes alone?! Even after a single day you two have gotten even closer than before?! Just what happened after I last saw you two yesterday?!

Alphonse and Winry then seemed to understand what May was implying.

Winry – Wait a minute May, it's not what you're thinking-

May – No! Alphonse-sama, you couldn't have…! Winry you traitor!

May ran off ahead of her friends. Winry then walked over to May's bag and picked it up.

Alphonse – May, wait!

Winry – You forgot your bag!

Alphonse – Now what do we do? She probably won't speak to either of us again for a while.

Alphonse looked a tiny bit concerned.

Winry – She just jumped to conclusions. We'll explain it to her once she's calmed down.

Alphonse – I guess you're right.

* * *

Homeroom hadn't begun yet but many of the students had already arrived. Izumi was in the classroom as well, but she didn't have to do anything at the moment except watch all the students and make sure they didn't cause any trouble before class started. Alphonse and Winry were talking to May at her desk and trying to explain to her that they were both still only good friends, but May was still a bit angry with them. Alphonse and Winry finally took their seats as well.

Winry – (Are you sure it's really okay for you to come to school with us, Kyubey?)

Kyubey – (Why not?)

Winry – (Don't "why not?" me. We told you already… that guy Edward, who was trying to kill you transferred into our class yesterday.)

Kyubey – (Actually, I think the school is the safest place for me. After all, Roy's here too.)

Alphonse – (Mustang-san is here?! At school?!)

Roy – (Sorry for not telling either of you earlier.)

Alphonse and Winry both looked up in surprise once they heard Roy's voice.

Roy – (I'm actually a teacher here.)

Winry – (What?! You're a teacher?!)

Alphonse – (No way!)

Roy was then shown standing in front of his classroom, watching his own students.

Roy – (I was going to tell you last night. But I thought it would be more fun to surprise you.)

Alphonse – (You certainly surprised us.)

Winry – (Yeah, but where are you?)

Roy – (My homeroom is one of the third-year classes.)

Alphonse – (But aren't those classes pretty far from ours?)

Kyubey – (At this distance, I can still reach him with my telepathy.)

Alphonse – (Then, good morning.)

Winry – (Yeah, good morning.)

Roy – (Good morning. Don't worry. I'll make sure to keep close watch over you all. Besides, I doubt that Fullmetal kid is the type who would attack while we're out in public.)

Winry – (Fullmetal?)

Roy – (Just a small nickname I came up with for that kid due to what I've come to know about his magic so far is that it mostly revolves around that armor covering his right arm.)

Winry grinned a little.

Winry – (I see. In that case, yours would be Flame.)

There was suddenly silence between the three of them and Winry felt a bit awkward.

Winry – (Is that going too far?)

Roy chuckled a little.

Roy – (No. It sounds perfect actually.)

Alphonse giggled a little too, then he noticed Edward walk into the classroom.

Alphonse – (Winry, look!)

Winry and Alphonse both watched Edward as he walked to his desk and sat down.

Winry – (He's here!)

Alphonse held Kyubey nervously as he stared at Edward, who turned his head around and stared back at Alphonse and Winry with a hard expression again.

Winry – (Don't worry, Al. If he does try anything, I'll give him a good hit in the head with my favorite wrench!)

Roy – (It would probably be better to avoid as much conflict as possible. But, I think I like this "wrench" idea.)

Alphonse – (Winry's a mechanic and she's always loved machines ever since she was little. But sometimes she uses her wrench more as a weapon than a tool.)

Roy – (I see. In that case, I guess I'll have to be careful.)

Winry looked a little irritated.

Winry – (The way you're saying it, you're making me sound like the villain.)

Alphonse smiled nervously.

* * *

During class, while Izumi was teaching, Alphonse was taking a life-threatening risk by ignoring her lesson and drawing designs for possible magical contractor outfits in his notebook. He leaned over and looked ahead of him to see Edward closely paying attention to the lesson, as well was Winry. Then he smiled as he watched Kyubey sleep on his book bag. Alphonse then went back to designing, he drew Roy and Edward in their magical contractor outfits, then he drew himself in a suit of armor that covered his whole body except for his head for his own outfit. The armor was small and skinny, so it fit his body perfectly, which made it look easy to move around in. Alphonse smiled at his work, then he quickly put his designs away once he saw Izumi look in is direction, which almost scared him to death. Later on during lunch break, Winry and Alphonse were eating on the roof.

Alphonse – Here you go.

Alphonse gave Kyubey a piece of his lunch and Kyubey opened his mouth and gladly ate it.

Winry – Hey, Al… Have you thought of a wish yet?

Alphonse – No, not yet… Have you?

Winry – No. I've gone through and considered so many different things too.

Winry stood up and faced towards the fence surrounding the edges of the rooftop.

Winry – I mean, there are plenty of things I want to have or do, but… in the end, none of them are worth risking my life for.

Alphonse – Yeah…

Winry up to the fence gripped its bars with her right hand.

Kyubey – How odd. Most of the people I make my offer to accept right away.

Winry – Well… Maybe it's because we're just a pair of fools?

Alphonse – What? Fools?

Winry – Yeah, a pair of blissfully ignorant fools… After all, just think about Mustang-san. He was already part of the military before he made the contract. He was already living a life of battle, so he must have had a good reason to become a magical contractor. I'm sure it's not all that unusual. Wishing for something so strongly you'd gladly trade your life for it… There must be countless people in this world… who have such wishes in their hearts. And they probably have natural reasons to deserve them too, because they have it harder than anyone else.

Winry gripped the fence even tighter with both of her hands and looked down.

Winry – But… For the two of us, we haven't experienced even a fraction of those people's suffering. Most likely… That's why we can't think of what to wish for.

Winry let her thoughts wander; it showed the silhouette of a man sitting in a hospital bed.

Winry – We've been so blessed… that we've become ignorant fools. Why us, of all people?

Winry turned around to face Alphonse and Kyubey again.

Winry – It's unfair. There are people out there who would give anything for a chance like this…

Alphonse – I've thought about that too.

Just then, Winry and Alphonse noticed that Edward had come onto the roof himself and was heading towards them. Winry walked back to Alphonse's side and the two of them watched Edward nervously as he came closer to them.

Roy – (It's all right. I'm watching.)

Winry and Alphonse looked over to their left side to see Roy watching them while standing on another one of the school's towers. He was also holding out his Soul Timer just in case. Edward glanced at Roy as he kept walking, then he turned his gaze back to Alphonse and Winry. His eyes were softer than before as well.

Winry – Well…? Are you going to pick up where you left off yesterday?

Winry was nervous as she spoke to him, but Edward didn't seem to want to fight this time.

Edward – No. I'm not here for that anymore.

Edward glanced at Kyubey and hardened his gaze just a tiny bit.

Edward – My goal was to kill it before it made contact with either of you, but it's too late for that now…

Edward looked back up at Winry and Alphonse and softened his gaze once more.

Edward – So what will you do? Will you two become magical contractors as well?

Winry – And why do you care?!

Edward – Because you should understand that people like you are not qualified for such a task.

Winry and Alphonse both recoiled at Edward's harsh words, although Winry looked more irritated.

Winry – What was that?!

Alphonse – But, Mustang-san is also a magical contractor and he thinks we have potential for it.

Edward looked down slightly.

Edward – Roy Mustang is indeed an excellent magical contractor. Even I hold respect for him… But he's also a fool.

Winry – How can you say that?!

Edward – Despite what that creature may have told you, there's more to the price of the contract than you imagine.

Winry seemed to calm down and she looked at Edward curiously.

Winry – What do you mean?

Edward looked back at Alphonse.

Edward – Do you remember what I said yesterday?

Alphonse looked up at Edward surprisingly and then his gaze turned serious.

Alphonse – Yes, I do.

Edward – Good. Then I hope that my warning won't be in vain. Think hard about the decision, so you don't end up regretting anything.

Edward turned around and started to walk away.

Alphonse – Edward, wait! What did you wish for when you became a magical contractor?

Edward stopped abruptly and his eyes widened slightly. He didn't turn around, but Alphonse and Winry could see his fists clenching and shaking. Edward then slightly turned his head back to Alphonse and Winry. The fire that usually burned bright in his eyes died out a little and was replaced by a hint of sadness and pain, which Alphonse and Winry both noticed. Edward then continued on his way, but he walked a bit faster than before. Even after he was out of sight, Alphonse and Winry continued to stare silently at the roof exit as they felt a small hint of sympathy.

Alphonse – Those eyes…

Winry – Maybe you struck a nerve or something?

* * *

After school ended, Alphonse and Winry walked up to May, who was getting her bag out of her locker.

Alphonse – Hey, May.

Winry – Do you mind? We have a few things we need to do today.

May still felt a bit angry with her friends.

May – I see, more secrets? Am I just not worth enough for either of you to tell me anything anymore?

Alphonse – No! That's not true! We just have some plans for today that's all.

May – Plans huh? I wonder what they could be? I guess no one can come between you two anymore, can they?!

May ran off dramatically again.

Winry – We already told you nothing's happening between us…!

Alphonse and Winry then sighed.

Alphonse – I hope she'll be back to normal by tomorrow.

Winry – I wouldn't worry too much. You know May, if there's anyone she won't stay angry at forever, it's you, Al.

Alphonse blushed. Edward was still inside the classroom, watching Alphonse and Winry.

Random Boy – Yo, Chrono.

Some boys from the class walked up to Edward.

Random Boy – Want to come hang out at the arcade with us after school?

Edward smiled sympathetically at his classmates.

Edward – Sorry guys, I've got things I need to do today.

Another Random Boy – What? Seriously? Oh well, maybe next time.

Edward – Thanks anyway. See ya.

Edward walked away.

* * *

Meanwhile at the cafe, Roy was sitting at one of the tables with Alphonse and Winry.

Roy – Well, it's about time to begin our wraith and witch patrol hunt. Consider this your first lesson as possible, future magical contractors. I hope you're prepared.

Winry – I'm not sure if it'll be any help in these kinds of situations, but… I thought we could use this!

Winry reached out behind her and pulled out a big, metal wrench and held it proudly in the air. Alphonse looked a bit nervous once he saw the wrench, Roy grinned however.

Roy – I see. So that must be your "Hitting Wrench."

Winry – Well… yeah. As a mechanic, I carry it with me at all times in case of emergencies. Besides, I thought it was better than having nothing to defend ourselves with.

Roy kept grinning.

Roy – Well, it's good to see that you're going about this with the right perspective.

Winry – What about you, Al? Did you bring anything?

Alphonse – Huh? Actually…

Alphonse reached down into his bag and pulled out his sketchbook with his magical contractor drawings. Roy looked at Alphonse's designs with curiosity and Winry looked at them with slight awe.

Alphonse – I thought I should at least start thinking about costume ideas…

Winry and Roy then started laughing, which began to embarrass Alphonse.

Roy – I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. Though, it seems you definitely have enough enthusiasm, Alphonse.

Winry – I just can't top that off! You totally beat me this time, Al!

Winry and Roy kept giggling just a little, which continued to embarrass Alphonse.

* * *

The three later returned to the area the witch last attacked. Roy was holding out his Soul Timer, which was open and the inside was glowing, but there was also a black magic circle hovering over it. This magic circle however was made up of different designs than Roy's was and there were small sparks of black magic shimmering around the circle as well.

Roy – This circle is a remnant of the magic used by that witch we faced yesterday. The core of wraith and witch-hunting is scouting the city on foot. Once your Soul Timer picks up a wraith or a witch's trail, you just follow it until it leads you to the wraith or witch.

Winry – No offense, but that's a little less exciting than I was expecting.

The three walked out the exit door and began walking through the town. It was already sunset outside.

Winry – The watch doesn't seem to be glowing any brighter.

Roy – It's been a full night since the witch escaped. It gets harder to track prey the more time you give it to run.

Alphonse – What if you had gone after it right away yesterday?

Roy – I might have been able to kill it. But it wasn't worth leaving the two of you alone after what you'd been through.

Alphonse and Winry looked at Roy surprisingly and then they both looked down.

Alphonse – Thank you, Mustang-san.

Winry – We're sorry if it was our fault the witch got away.

Roy – It's all right. I make it my number one priority as a magical contractor to ensure the civilians safety first.

Winry – You're really more like a hero than a soldier, Mustang-san. But as for Edward, I really don't get him. I can't tell if he's a good guy or not.

Alphonse thought about Edward and remembered the pained look he saw in his eyes when he asked him about his wish.

Alphonse – (I'm not entirely sure, but… I don't actually think he's really a bad person.)

Meanwhile, a woman who seemed to be an office lady was shown walking and stumbling towards an abandoned building. Roy, Winry, and Alphonse were then shown again, continuing to search the city.

Alphonse – Hey, Mustang-san?

Roy – What is it?

Alphonse – I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but what exactly is the difference between a wraith and a witch?

Roy – That's a good question. Magical contractors can be either boys or girls, and it usually doesn't matter on what age the person is either. In that case, then it's the same for wraiths and witches. Wraiths are the boys and witches are the girls.

Winry – That's pretty interesting, but how can you tell the difference?

Roy – Sometimes it's pretty obvious just by paying attention to the structure of the labyrinth. Like the last one we were in… Didn't it look more like something a girl would wish to create?

Winry – That's true.

Roy – Although, there are other ways to tell the difference. Just by standing near the entrance of a wraith or a witch's labyrinth will give off a powerful reaction and the Soul Timer's ticking needle will begin to spin very quickly. If the reaction belongs to a wraith then the needle spins left and if it belongs to a witch then the needle spins right.

Alphonse – I see… then if we're tracking a witch right now, it must be a girl.

Roy – That's right.

Winry – Mustang-san… Do you have any ideas of where the witch might be hiding?

Roy – You often find traces of wraiths' and witches' auras around car crashes or deadly accidents. That's why it's good to check high-traffic streets and spots in the Red Light District where fights tend to break out first. I know specifically well how bad it can get… During numerous military assignments, I was sent to places like that quite often to investigate street-fights. Abandoned places for attempted suicide are also great sources for a wraith or a witch's hideout.

The same woman from before kept stumbling around as she walked up the stairs of the abandoned building.

Roy – Then, there are hospitals–the worst places for a wraith or a witch to take up. In places like that, they drain the life force out of people who are already weakened with pain and illness.

Alphonse – That's terrible!

Roy – Yes, and I hope that neither of you will ever have to see that happen.

Roy's Soul Timer finally began glowing. The three stopped once it did.

Roy – It's reacting to some very powerful magic.

Winry and Alphonse watched Roy's Soul Timer closely as the orange glow continued to light up and the smallest needle pointing to the numbers inside began to spin really fast to the right.

Roy – It must be close.

On the roof of the abandoned building, the woman had taken off her red high heels and was leaning near the edge while holding onto the bars of the fence surrounding the rooftop. Roy, Winry, and Alphonse had just arrived at the abandoned building themselves and Roy's Soul Timer was glowing much more than before.

Roy – Just as I thought! It's here!

Winry suddenly looked up and saw the woman leaning off the edge of the roof.

Winry – Mustang-san! Up there!

The three looked up just in time to see the woman let go of the railing and start falling to her death. Winry and Alphonse watched in horror, but Roy immediately leapt into action. Flames erupted from his Soul Timer and surrounded him as he took a tiny leap. Roy watched the woman fall as his flames engulfed him once he landed. Once the flames disappeared, Roy was transformed into his magical contractor clothes, then he jumped up and caught the falling woman into his arms. Once he landed, he set the woman down on the ground to examine her. Winry and Alphonse hurried over to Roy to check on the woman as well. There was a red mark that looked like a butterfly, which had a black background as well as small magical butterfly fragments surrounding the mark, located on the woman's neck.

Roy – A Witch's Kiss… There's no mistake.

Roy stood up.

Alphonse – I-is she…?

Roy – No, she's fine. She's only fainted. Let's go!

The three entered the building. Once Roy stepped forward a little, his orange Soul Timer automatically opened and the inside began to glow again, causing the entrance to the Witch's labyrinth to appear at the top of the stairs in front of them.

Roy – You won't escape this time! Winry, let me see your wrench.

Winry – Huh? Sure…

Winry held out her wrench to Roy, who gripped the tool with one hand and his magic circle immediately appeared above it. The wrench's shape then began to change; it grew a bit bigger and was much more nicely designed due to the effects of Roy's magic.

Winry – AH! What did you do?!

Winry tried to appear upset since she didn't like her precious wrench being reformed, but she was so taken back by its new appearance, she couldn't help but be amazed.

Alphonse – It changed!

Roy – It's not much, but it should serve to protect you from any immediate dangers at least. Once we're inside, make sure to stay near me, understand?

Alphonse and Winry – Right!

The three of them went up the stairs and stopped in front of the entrance to the barrier for a moment before Alphonse and Winry nodded their heads to Roy and they all headed into the labyrinth. After they entered, Edward was shown standing at the entrance of the building, watching the group as they went inside the barrier with a small scowl on his face.

* * *

Inside the labyrinth, Roy, Winry, and Alphonse began running through each section of the barrier, avoiding the same cotton ball creatures from before. Soon, they came across some flying blob creatures with multiple eyes, butterfly wings, and mustaches as well, but Roy quickly shot them with his flame muskets before they could do any damage. Winry also swung her enchanted wrench in front of her, which created a small barrier made up of Roy's magic circle that blocked any of the blob creatures that tried to attack her or Alphonse.

Winry – Stay away! You disgusting creeps!

The three continued to run further into the barrier.

Roy – Well? Are either of you scared yet?

Winry – W-well, to be honest, yeah.

More blob creatures came flying towards the group and Roy put his arm out in front of Alphonse and Winry to stop them. He then made more muskets and shot the blob creatures in front of him, however a few more blob creatures got behind Alphonse and Winry and began huddling together to become one giant blob. However, Roy quickly jumped up and kicked the creatures apart before they attacked Alphonse or Winry. The two both watched Roy in awe as they saw him fight, Alphonse especially.

Alphonse – (I'm scared too… But…)

The three kept running until they reached a door being blocked by more cotton ball creatures that seemed to be passing cut red roses to each other.

Kyubey – Keep it up! We're almost at the deepest point in the labyrinth!

The cotton ball creatures that were blocking the way began summoning their scissors as they sensed the group coming. Roy leaped down to the floor so that he was on the same level as the cotton ball creatures, then he created a bunch of muskets, which shot all of the creatures and reverted them back to magical butterfly fragments. Once the path was clear, the door the creatures were guarding opened up, leading to a bunch of other doors opening one after the next until the final door lead to the center of the barrier.

Roy, Winry, and Alphonse watched in silence as they kept their eyes locked on the creature sitting in the middle of the room on a red couch. It looked like a giant blob that had a green head growing red roses, black tentacle legs that resembled roots, and butterfly wings on it's back. The thing itself looked absolutely horrible to both Alphonse and Winry.

Alphonse – I-is that a witch?

Roy – Yes.

Strange runes then magically appeared and positioned themselves in front of the witch.

Winry – What's that?

Roy – The runes of the witch's name. Only magical contractors can read them.

Alphonse – What does it say?

Roy – Gertrud, The Rose Garden Witch.

Winry – So wraiths and witches have names too…

Alphonse – Are you really going to fight that thing?

Roy looked back at Alphonse and Winry and grinned.

Roy – I'll be fine. As if I'd lose to that!

Roy took Winry's wrench and swung it around before slamming it into the ground, which formed his magic circle underneath Alphonse and Winry's feet. Flames then erupted from the circle and formed a protective barrier around the two as they watched in awe.

Roy – Stay back!

Roy jumped down into the room and stomped down on one of the smaller blob creatures that surrounded the floor once he stood up, which got Gertrud's attention. Roy closed his eyes and snapped his fingers, creating two flame muskets, but then Gertrud rose up and threw her couch at him. Roy flipped backwards to dodge the couch and then he shot both of his muskets to destroy it. As Gertrud flew along the walls, Roy snapped his fingers again to create more muskets and he began shooting at Gertrud, who kept dodging the blasts as she flew. Suddenly, Roy looked down to see that some of the smaller blob creatures on the floor began crawling on his foot. He tried to shake them off, but then the small creatures began to fly around him in a single file line and change into a vine, which tied him up and lifted him into the air. Roy fired the two muskets he was still holding at Gertrud, but he missed and the flame bullets hit the ground near a patch of red roses instead. This seemed to anger Gertrud more as she controlled the vine to swing Roy into the wall. Alphonse and Winry gasped as they watched him struggle.

Alphonse – Mustang-san!

The vine holding Roy raised him above Gertrud, however he grinned as he looked over at Alphonse and Winry.

Roy – I'm fine. As if I'd let myself look so useless in front of my future magical contractor juniors!

Flames began rising out of the holes created by Roy's flame bullets in the rose patch and the fire began surrounding all the blob and cotton ball creatures in the room. Gertrud quickly turned around once she noticed the flames, then the roses on her head flung off as they were replaced by the imprint of a giant black butterfly and she created her own thorn and scissor branches to try to cut up Roy. However, the flames quickly engulfed her and her scissors before they got to him.

Roy – Close, but no cigar.

Roy held out his hand to the vine holding him up and he snapped his fingers, which caused flames to shoot out and burn the vine, releasing him. Once he was free, Roy formed his magic circle underneath his feet, creating a platform in the air for him to stand on. Then he snapped his fingers once more and created a giant musket that was much bigger than him, which was floating above his head. Taking one last look at Gertrud, who was struggling to find a way out of the fire surrounding her, Roy grinned.

Roy – You had a good run, but now it's time to sleep.

Roy snapped once again and the giant musket fired. The big ball of fire it shot instantly destroyed Gertrud, leaving only magical butterfly fragments in her place. Once she was destroyed, all the other creatures in the barrier turned into magical butterfly fragments as well. Roy leaped down to the ground and a black object seemed to fall off to his side as well. He then smiled as he looked up to Alphonse and Winry, who were both smiling in amazement.

Winry – He beat it!

Alphonse – That was amazing!

The labyrinth then began to disappear and change back into a hallway in the abandoned building. Roy transformed back to normal and walked over to the black object that fell off to his side. Once he picked it up, he showed it to Alphonse and Winry who had just caught up with him. The black object looked like a small poll holding a structure of black gears. The gears themselves were small, the biggest ones were almost the same size as a Soul Timer, and the poll was balancing perfectly upright on Roy's hand.

Roy – These are Grief Gears. You could say they act as a wraith or witch's egg.

Winry – Th-then, these things hatch wraiths and witches?

Roy – Yes. All wraiths and witches carry them. If you're lucky, you'll find one after a battle.

Winry and Alphonse looked at the set of Grief Gears nervously.

Kyubey – It's all right. In this form, they're perfectly safe. In fact, they're incredibly valuable because of what they can do.

Roy held out his Soul Timer in his other hand and opened it.

Roy – The color of my Soul Timer looks a little muddier now than it did last night, right? Also, notice how the big needle is on a higher number than it was before?

Alphonse – You're right, it is…

Roy – But if I use the Grief Gears… Look.

Roy held his Soul Timer and the set of Grief Gears closer together, then the blackness from the Soul Timer came out and transferred to the Grief Gears, leaving Roy's Soul Timer glowing bright and looking a perfect shade of reddish/orange once again. The counting needle also wound up counter-clockwise as the impurities were being cleared. Alphonse and Winry watched in amazement.

Winry – Wow! It cleared up again!

Alphonse – And the timer wound up back to zero!

Roy – With this, the magic I expended during the fight has been restored as well. These are the rewards for defeating wraiths and witches I told you about.

Roy then turned around and threw the Grief Gears at a nearby dark hallway. The sound of a clasp was heard and then the Grief Gears were shown being held in the hand of the person Roy threw them at. Alphonse and Winry looked surprised since they didn't think that there would be anyone else besides them inside the abandoned building.

Roy – It should be good for one more use. I'll let you have it…

Edward then walked out of the dark hallway and stopped once he was in plain sight.

Roy – Edward Chrono.

Alphonse and Winry looked shocked once they saw Edward. His expression however, was hard again as he looked at the three.

Roy – Or perhaps you're not the sharing type.

Edward – This one was your kill. So you should keep the reward for yourself.

Edward threw the Grief Gears back at Roy, who now had a frown on his face.

Roy – I see. So that's your answer, Fullmetal.

Edward walked away without saying anything else.

Winry – What?! I really don't get that guy.

Roy smirked.

Roy – The shorty's probably just upset that we got here first.

Alphonse – Couldn't we all just get along?

Roy – It only works if both parties feel that way.

* * *

Back outside, Roy, Winry, and Alphonse were checking on the woman to see if she was okay. Soon she began to stir.

Roy – Are you all right, Miss?

Woman – Where am I? Huh? I…

Once she sat up, the woman remembered what she almost did.

Woman – O-oh my god, what was I about to…? Why would I…?

The woman put her hands to her head as she began to cry and shake with fear. Roy then put a reassuring hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

Roy – It's all right. You're safe now. You were probably just having a bad dream, that's all. Shall I call you a cab?

Woman – Y-yes, thank you. That's very kind of you.

Roy smirked charmingly as he clasped the woman's hand into his own.

Roy – As a gentleman, I could never leave a beautiful woman such as yourself alone and afraid like this.

The woman smiled and blushed a little.

Woman – Oh my…

Alphonse and Winry felt a little awkward as they watched Roy flirt with the woman.

Winry – For some reason, I get the feeling this is how Mustang-san comforts all the women he saves.

Alphonse – I think you may be right…

Winry and Alphonse then smiled genuinely.

Winry – But I don't think it matters. Everything turned out okay in the end.

Alphonse – Yeah.

Alphonse thought to himself for a while as he watched Roy.

Alphonse – (It's too confusing, figuring out what I would wish for… But Mustang-san looked so cool when he was fighting… If someone like me could go around saving people like that too… I think that would be… truly amazing.)

* * *

**Well, there you go! I hope you liked it!**

**Just so that none of you are confused, the way how Roy's fire magic works is: like Mami's he has a bit of healing magic, he can create flame domes around himself or other people for protection, and he can create flame rings around his opponents to trap them. When Roy creates his flame rings, the fire's magical properties allow the air to remain breathable but it becomes so dense that the victim's physical movements and all actions of magic use are completely slowed down; this applies to Edward's time-stopping magic as well. (Ironic, Ed has all the time he needs to attack, defend, or flee because of his magic, but Roy's powers can slow that power down.) Also, if anyone trapped in Roy's flame rings does manage to move or struggle, the flame ring with grow more narrow, until it completely engulfs its victim. Scary, but that's the idea behind Roy's magic.**

**Like I said, I'll have the next chapter up real soon! In the meantime, please review and tell me what you think. If you guys have any suggestions I'll gladly listen to them as well.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Sorry about the wait! Here's where the plot THICKENS. BUM BUM BUUUUMMMMM!**

**But before that, I wanted to get a few things off my chest. In case any of you are wondering, here is a list of which characters will be playing a which in this story:**

**Alphonse Elric - Madoka Kaname**

**Edward Elric - Homura Akemi**

**Winry Rockbell - Sayaka Miki**

**Roy Mustang - Mami Tomoe**

**Riza Hawkeye - Kyoko Sakura**

**Izumi Curtis - Kazuko Saotome**

**May Chang - Hitomi Shizuki**

**Maes Hughes - Kyosuke Kamijo(Kind of)**

**Also, as for Roy's magic circle, I was intending for it to be his flame alchemy circle, but you guys can imagine it however you want if you don't like that idea. I'm also intending for Alphonse's magic circle to be his blood seal and for Edward's magic circle to be his old alchemy circle with his coat's symbol included in the circle. As for Winry and Riza's magic circles, I haven't thought of a design yet, so if you guys want, if you can think of any illustration ideas for their magic circles and tell me about them, I would really appreciate it.**

**Thank you!**

* * *

Later on that evening, Winry was at the hospital with her mother, Gracia Rockbell. They were both waiting outside a patient's room belonging to a man named Maes Hughes. Before they went in, the doctor came over to them and looked mainly at Gracia.

Doctor – Good evening, Rockbell-san.

Gracia – Good evening, Doctor.

Doctor – I don't wish to disturb your visit, but might I have a word with you for a moment?

Gracia – Oh, sure. Winry, you go say hello to Maes. This may take a while.

Winry – Okay. Thank you, Mom.

After Gracia walked away with the doctor, Winry slightly peered into Maes's room to see him sitting up in his bed, looking out the window. She then took a deep breath before she walked into the room. Maes turned his head towards Winry once he heard her come in and he smiled.

Maes – Winry! You came to see me! Is Gracia here as well?

Winry smiled.

Winry – Yes, she's just talking with the doctor.

Maes – So you came in for me to have you all to myself. What a sweet girl you are.

Winry's face turned slightly red out of embarrassment. Then she walked over to the chair next to Maes's bed and sat down.

Winry – How are you feeling?

Maes – What, your old man? I'm just fine. Especially now that I've seen your cute face.

Maes reached his hand out and rubbed Winry's head.

Winry – Of course. It's only been a week since the accident and you manage to act like it was nothing at all, Hughes-san.

Maes – A little car crash won't bring me down.

Winry smiled, then Maes smiled even more and began to blush as well.

Maes – Besides, now that I have my new sources of power, I definitely can't just keep lying here helplessly, making you and Gracia worry.

Winry looked confused.

Winry – What sources of power?

Maes held out a bunch of pictures of Winry when she was a baby.

Maes – These of course! You really were such a cute girl!

Winry's faced turned bright red.

Winry – Wh-where did you get those?!

Maes – I asked Gracia for them. And even for some pictures of her as well. You two were so cute, I just had to show these to all the sweet nurses who take care of me!

Winry then looked a bit annoyed but her face was still red.

Winry – W-what?! Hughes-san! I told you not to go bragging off to people about Mom and me! And of all things, you show them my baby pictures?! It's so embarrassing!

Maes put his hands to his cheeks and kept blushing.

Maes – But you're just so cute!

Winry – That doesn't give you any excuse!

Maes then smiled genuinely.

Maes – Sorry, Winry. But it's true.

Winry calmed down and looked at Maes confusedly again.

Maes – You and Gracia… are what give me my strength. You two are the only reason why I've made it this far, after all.

Winry blushed, then she smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing her body as Maes gently rubbed her head again. After a while, she exited his room to go find her mom so they could all talk together, but then she stopped once she came around the corner and overheard a tiny bit of what the doctor was telling Gracia. The news must have been terrible, because Winry's eyes automatically widened with horror.

* * *

More time had passed and Alphonse and Winry continued to go on patrols with Roy. This time, it was night and he was standing on top of a park light, once again transformed into his magical contractor outfit. Roy snapped his fingers and created another large musket, except this one was a bit smaller, had a different structure, and he was holding it instead of having it hover over him. Roy smirked, then his magic circle appeared underneath his feet and he manually fired his musket, which automatically destroyed the black spike ball cat creature he was aiming at. Once it was defeated, the musket turned back into flames and disappeared. The barrier then collapsed, turning back into the park area where it formed and Winry and Alphonse stood up from the benches they were hiding behind since the coast was clear. Winry was holding her wrench again, which had turned back to normal since the fight was over.

Winry – Nice shot, Mustang-san!

Roy – Thank you. Are you two all right?

Winry – Yeah.

Alphonse – That was so cool, Mustang-san!

Roy – Alphonse, this isn't a magic show. Don't forget that what we're doing here is very dangerous.

Alphonse and Winry – Right!

Roy changed back to his regular clothes and jumped down to the ground. Alphonse then noticed something.

Alphonse – It didn't drop any Grief Gears this time.

Kyubey – It's because that was only a wraith or witch's familiar – not a wraith or witch itself. Familiars don't carry Grief Gears.

Winry – Familiars? You mean those other creatures that lurk around in wraith and witch's labyrinths?

Kyubey – Yes.

Alphonse – Now that I think about it, we haven't been able to find many wraiths or witches lately.

Winry – That's true. If I'm getting this right, we've only encountered a few other familiars and one wraith this past week.

Roy – We can't ignore familiars, though. If allowed to develop, they'll become the same kind of wraith or witch they broke off from.

Roy then looked over at the clock sitting in the middle of the park.

Roy – It's getting late. We should go.

* * *

The three were then shown walking home together.

Roy – Have either of you two figured out what to wish for?

Winry shook her head and sighed.

Winry – What about you, Al?

Alphonse – No.

Roy – That's how it goes, once someone tells you to think hard about something.

Alphonse – What did you wish for, Mustang-san?

Roy stopped walking and stayed silent for a moment.

Alphonse – Oh, sorry! If it's too personal-

Roy – No, you see…

Flashbacks of battles and war were shown, and then it showed a badly injured Roy lying in a ditch along with a bunch of dead soldiers. He was barely conscious and he was breathing heavily, but then Kyubey's shadow appeared over him. Roy opened his eyes slightly, though they looked blank and grey as if he was blind. However, Roy seemed to sense Kyubey's presence in front of him, so he reached his arm out towards Kyubey as if he was pleading for help.

Roy – I didn't have the luxury of thinking about it first.

Back in the present, Roy was frowning slightly as he explained his story.

Roy – It was during the Eastern War… and I was caught in a bomb blast along with many of my comrades. The only reason I'm alive today… is because of that wish. However, though I was the only survivor in the blast, I still received many injuries and even lost my sight. I could use magic to fix my body and my eyes of course, but not without revealing my secret. As a result, once I was released from the hospital, my superiors retired me from my military position, believing I could no longer fight without my eyesight.

Alphonse and Winry looked at Roy sadly and shockingly.

Roy – It's not that I have any regrets. Even after leaving the military, I still had to fight. So, living here and now… is at least better than dying in that place. But… I knew many people who died in that war who probably deserved the chance to live just as much as I did. The fact that I couldn't do anything to save them still haunts me to this day.

Alphonse – No way.

Winry – That's terrible.

Roy – That's why I want those who do have the chance to think carefully before deciding. So they can have the choice I didn't have.

Roy then looked over at Alphonse and Winry, who still looked sad.

Roy – It's all right, you don't have to feel that way. It's all in the past after all. It's good that you two are taking your time to consider this.

Winry then thought of something.

Winry – Mustang-san… Does your wish have to be for yourself?

Roy – Huh?

Winry – For example… If there was someone who was in a worse situation than I am, can I use my wish to help him?

Alphonse – Are you talking about Hughes-san?

Winry looked embarrassed and she quickly turned around to face Alphonse.

Winry – I said it was an example!

Kyubey – There's no requirement that the wish's beneficiary be the contractor himself. There's even precedent for it already.

Roy – But it may not be the best idea. If you want to use your wish to grant someone else's, then it's even more important that you make sure you know what you're wishing for. Do you really want to do it for the sake of this person? Or do you just want to help this person so that he will be grateful to you? They sound similar, but they're completely different in truth.

Winry looked a bit shocked.

Alphonse – Mustang-san, that was a little harsh, wasn't it?

Roy – I'm sorry. But this really needs to be said now. If you go ahead with it without making certain first, you're sure to regret it later.

Winry was silent for a moment, then she gave a small smile.

Winry – Yeah, you're right. I wasn't thinking hard enough.

Roy – It really is a difficult decision. Like I said, there's no need to rush into it.

Kyubey – Though for me, the sooner you decide, the better.

Roy – I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kyubey. People don't listen to you if you pressure them to do things. Esspecially women. I speak from experience.

Alphonse and Winry laughed as the three continued on their way.

* * *

Back at Alphonse's house, he was shown lying on his bed awake, holding the notebook containing his magical contractor designs. Kyubey was sitting on a small pillow next to Alphonse.

Alphonse – It really isn't an easy decision, is it?

Kyubey – And considering my position, I can't rush you into deciding either. Suggesting wishes would also be against the rules.

Alphonse – So I guess just wishing to become a magical contractor wouldn't work, huh?

Alphonse opened up his notebook to the page with his designs. The sketch of his magical contractor outfit had been colored in a grayish/green color.

Kyubey – Is power for its own sake what you desire, Alphonse?

Alphonse – No, it's not that. I mean, everyone does tell me that I'm incredibly smart and really athletic… So it's not as if I don't have any talents. But then again… I'm kind of shy, and I usually have to rely on others for help a lot. So if I could just become someone as cool and helpful as Mustang-san… I'd be happy enough with just that.

Kyubey – If you became a magical contractor, Alphonse, you'd be much more powerful than Roy.

Alphonse looked at Kyubey curiously.

Kyubey – Though, of course, part of that depends on what kind of wish you make. Even I can't completely gauge how large the Soul Timer you'd create would be. I've never met another person with such enormous potential as you.

Alphonse looked a little surprised but then he smiled and laughed off Kyubey's claim.

Alphonse – Come on! You're teasing me, aren't you?

Kyubey – No…

Suddenly, there was a knock on Alphonse's door.

Trisha – Al? Are you awake? I'm home.

Alphonse – Yeah. Welcome home, Mom. You can come in.

Trisha opened the door and smiled as she peeked into the room.

Trisha – Sorry I'm home so late.

Alphonse – You really shouldn't overwork yourself, Mom.

Trisha – I'm sorry. I was just going to make myself some hot chocolate. Do you want some?

Alphonse smiled happily.

Alphonse – Sure!

Alphonse and Trisha went downstairs to the kitchen and sat down at the table once their hot chocolate was ready.

Alphonse – Hey Mom? I was wondering… Why do you love to work so much? I mean, it wasn't always your dream to work for Pinako-san, was it?

Trisha – Hmm… I guess it isn't so much that I enjoy working for Pinako… I think what I really like is trying my best for her.

Alphonse – Huh?

Trisha – Even though there are times when I encounter lots of tiring and unpleasant things… the same goes for Pinako as well. That's why I need to give her all the help she can get. Besides, the satisfactions I recieve from overcoming those challenges… are actually really precious to me.

Alphonse – Really?

Trisha – Yes. So even though working for Pinako wasn't necessarily my dream… I still enjoy the way I'm living my life now. It's possible to achieve your dreams in that way as well.

Alphonse – So the way you live your life can be your dream?

Trisha – Other people might have different opinions of it… But as for me, it's something I'm very proud of.

Alphonse smiled.

Alphonse – You truly are a wonderful person, Mom.

Trisha smiled.

Trisha – Thank you, Al.

* * *

Meanwhile, Roy was back at the park, patrolling for any wraiths or witches that he might have missed earlier. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, so he put his Soul Timer away and looked around. Edward was then shown standing on the stone steps behind Roy.

Edward – You do understand, don't you? That you're leading innocent bystanders into real danger?

Roy continued to frown as he turned around to face Edward.

Roy – They were chosen by Kyubey. They're not innocent bystanders anymore.

Edward – You're trying to lead them so that they want to be magical contractors.

Roy – And I take it you don't like that?

Edward – No. I don't. Especially in the case of Alphonse Elric.

Roy grinned.

Roy – I see. It appears that you've noticed it as well… his incredible potential.

Edward's gaze started to harden even more.

Edward – He is the one person I absolutely cannot allow to make the contract.

Roy – Afraid that a magical contractor stronger than you will get in your way? That's the way a bullied child thinks.

Edward glared strongly at Roy, but he still kept his composure.

Edward – I really don't want to fight you.

Roy – Then let's make sure that our paths will never cross again. Tonight may be the last time that we settle this with words. Farewell, Fullmetal.

Roy turned around and left. Edward was then shown staring slightly down at the ground with his bangs covering his eyes. He then slightly gritted his teeth in both annoyance and disappointment.

* * *

The next day at the hospital, Winry was visiting Maes again, without her mom. She ran over to his room and opened the door, but he wasn't in his bed. Shortly after Winry closed the door, two nurses were shown walking down the hall towards her.

Nurse 1 – Oh, are you here to see Hughes-san?

Winry turned around to face the nurses.

Winry – Huh? Yeah.

Nurse 1 – I'm sorry, but he's in the middle of examinations right now. With his surgery coming up, we have to make sure he's in the best condition. I'm afraid we can't let any visitors inside to see him right now.

Winry looked a bit disappointed.

Winry – Oh, I see. Thank you.

Winry then turned around to leave and she secretly pouted since she couldn't see Maes. The nurses watched her as she left.

Nurse 2 – She and her mother come to see him quite often, don't they?

Nurse 1 – It's a big help. He's a difficult case, that man. I believe they're the encouragement he needed.

Nurse 2 – The girl's mother, she's Hughes-san's girlfriend isn't she? I heard that before the accident, they were engaged.

Nurse 1 – It's so sad. The injuries he received from the crash were bad enough. And the surgery scheduled for him is a very difficult process. Even from how much he's recovered… it's likely he won't live all the way through the procedure before it's finished.

Winry still looked a little disappointed even as she got out of the elevator. She walked over to Alphonse, who was waiting for her on one of the benches. Kyubey was also sitting on the bench next to him.

Winry – Sorry for the wait, Al.

Alphonse – Huh? Weren't you able to see Hughes-san today?

Winry – Apparently, he had some tests today. They want to be absolutely certain that he's ready for the surgery.

The two friends were then shown walking outside, exiting the hospital.

Winry – And after I came all the way here on my own free time without Mom too. It's not fair! Here I am, worried sick and they won't even give me the chance to see him as much as I can before its time!

Suddenly Alphonse stopped walking after noticing something on the wall of the building. Winry then stopped as well and turned back to him once she noticed that he was staring suspiciously at the wall.

Winry – Al? What's wrong?

Alphonse – There's something over there.

Alphonse, Winry, and Kyubey looked at the wall to see a set of Grief Gears pinned on the building by its point. The Grief Gears were pitch black as well was the aura surrounding them.

Kyubey – Grief Gears!

Alphonse and Winry quickly ran closer to the Grief Gears to get a better look.

Kyubey – They're about to hatch!

Alphonse – No way! Why here of all places…?

The Grief Gears started glowing and a black magical circle began hovering over them.

Kyubey – This isn't good. We have to get out of here! A labyrinth is about to open up here!

Winry – What?! Al, do you have Mustang-san's phone number on you?

Alphonse – No! Do you?

Winry – No. This isn't good… We'll have to go find him ourselves.

Alphonse – But, is it really a good idea to just leave? Maybe one of us should stay here and watch the gears?

Kyubey – That's too dangerous. Though there's still time before the wraith or witch emerges, once the labyrinth pulls you inside, you won't be able to leave it.

Winry – But, Al has a point! Once the labyrinth opens, we'll lose track of the wraith or witch in charge of it, won't we?

Winry thought about Maes.

Winry – I can't let that happen. Not here…

Kyubey – Even so, there's no guarantee that Roy will get here in time to save you.

Alphonse – Then, what do we do?

After a moment of silence, Kyubey leapt down from Alphonse's shoulder.

Kyubey – Alphonse, Winry, you two go on ahead. I'll keep an eye on the Grief Gears.

Alphonse and Winry – Huh?

Kyubey – Once Roy gets here, he'll be able to track my position using telepathy. So if I stay here and watch the Grief Gears, I'll be able to guide Roy… down the shortest path to me.

Winry – Are you sure about waiting by yourself, Kyubey?

Kyubey – I'll be fine. It's not like I haven't done this before, anyway.

Alphonse – Then, we'll find Mustang-san and bring him here as fast as we can! Let's go, Winry!

Winry – Yeah!

Alphonse and Winry dropped their school bags and ran off from the hospital. A bright light then flashed from the Grief Gears and once it settled down, Kyubey was gone. The inside of the labyrinth looked like a girl's tea party, familiars that looked like four different maids, once with red hair, another with blue hair, one with pink hair, and one with purple hair were scattered around the barrier. Kyubey was then shown sitting in front of a room that had iron bars at the entrance and a sign over it saying OPERATION IN PROGRESS. Behind the bars there was a table with sets of tea and cake on it along with six chairs surrounding the table. The Grief Gears were shown sitting in the middle of the table.

Kyubey – It really is a shame. If they had just decided upon a wish… I could've turned them into magical contractors right there and then. Oh well, there's no helping it now. We'll just have to wait a little longer.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Roy had just arrived with Alphonse and Winry following behind. The three of them looked towards the wall where the Grief Gears were pinned before. The gears were gone, but the crack in the wall was still there.

Roy – Here, right?

Roy held out his Soul Timer, which glowed and revealed the entrance of the barrier.

Roy – (Kyubey, what's the situation?)

Kyubey – (It's still okay. According to the labyrinth design, I'm pretty sure this one's a witch. It looks it isn't going to hatch just yet.)

Alphonse – (Are you really okay?)

Kyubey – (I'm fine. Right now, it'd be better not to use any large amounts of magic that might disturb the gears. There's no need to hurry, so come to me as quietly as you can.)

Roy – (I understand.)

The three entered the barrier and slowly walked through the labyrinth once they were inside.

Winry – Thank goodness we made it in time.

Roy – It's a good thing you two came to me as quickly as you did. This way, we won't have to worry about the witch getting a-

Roy stopped talking once he turned his head around since he noticed something. Alphonse and Winry turned around as well and saw Edward walking behind them.

Roy – I thought I told you I didn't want to see you again, Fullmetal.

Edward's gaze was soft this time.

Edward – I'll fight this one. You three should leave now.

Roy – I don't think so. Kyubey's waiting for us in there. Leaving you to hunt this prey gives you the perfect chance to finish him off as well.

Edward – Killing that thing now wouldn't accomplish anything for me. I'll make sure he comes out alive.

Roy – And you think that we'd trust you?

Roy held out his Soul Timer, which opened and flames quickly erupted from it in a flash of reddish/orange light. Edward gasped as the flames cornered all around him, giving him no chance of escaping. Edward used his arms to try to shield himself from the flames and his eyes were now clearly showing concern.

Edward – You idiot! This isn't the time for-

Roy – I don't want to hurt you, of course. But if you show any signs of movement, the flames will grow and further narrow your space.

Edward – This witch is not like the others!

Roy – If you behave yourself, I'll release you unharmed after we finish up here. Let's go, Alphonse, Winry.

Alphonse and Winry – R-right…

Edward's expression grew even more worried and he tried moving closer to warn them again.

Edward – Wai-!

Suddenly, the flames grew a bit bigger and started closing in, which caused Edward to move back and shield himself with his arms again. Roy walked on, but Alphonse and Winry looked back at Edward as they continued to follow Roy, both of them feeling a bit uneasy.

* * *

As the three made their way through the barrier, Roy made sure to check if the coast was clear from any familiars before moving along. Alphonse and Winry looked around their surroundings nervously since they weren't used to walking through a labyrinth without something coming to attack them.

Alphonse – Um… Mustang-san?

Roy – What is it?

Alphonse – I've been thinking really hard about all sorts of different wishes, and…

Winry – Did you finally decide on one, Al?

Alphonse – Yes. But it might be the naïve kind of wish that you wouldn't like, Mustang-san.

Roy – Well then, what is this naïve dream you want granted?

Alphonse – Well, I've always been really good at school and sports… so I thought that there really isn't any need to use my wish to try to improve myself in any way…

Winry then chuckled.

Winry – Of course not! I mean good? More like amazing! Al is a child prodigy, after all!

Roy – I see. Then do you not want to use your wish to benefit yourself in any way?

Alphonse – Well not exactly. I mean, I do feel happy when people compliment me for what I'm really good at… But, the truth is… I don't really take much pride in my talents.

Winry and Roy both seemed a bit startled.

Winry – What? Why not?

Alphonse – It's just that… Even though everyone tells me I'm amazing, everything I'm truly good at only benefits me, not anyone else. Sometimes I just wish I could use my talents in a way that helps other people, besides myself. But I'm not the kind of person who can do something like that. Sometimes I think I'll never be able to be of any use to anyone and I'll always have to ask others for help. Thinking about that makes me feel horrible.

Winry – Al…

Alphonse – But, when Winry and I met you, Mustang-san… you showed us what it's like to fight to save people. And when you told us that we might be able to do the same thing… it was one of the happiest things I've ever experienced in my life.

Winry smiled as she listened to Alphonse. Roy however, frowned and stayed extremely silent.

Alphonse – That's why, I think that if I just became a magical contractor, then that alone would filfill my dreams. If someone like me can actually help people and live my life with pride… then that's probably the only wish I would want granted.

Winry – What are you talking about, Al? I think that's a great dream.

Alphonse – You think so?

Winry – Yeah. To be honest, I was thinking the same thing.

Alphonse and Roy looked a little surprised.

Alphonse – What? You too, Winry?

Winry – Well yeah. I mean, I did want to think it through carefully at first, since it's such an important decision and all… But, in the end… I guess I just can't think of anything special enough to be worth such a huge chance. So I began thinking, maybe it would be enough if I was just a magical contractor like Mustang-san. After all, I do believe that fighting for the sake of others is definitely something I'd consider to be worth fighting for.

Alphonse – Winry…

Roy – It won't be easy, you know?

Alphonse and Winry turned their heads back towards Roy once he spoke.

Roy – You'll get injured, and you won't have time to go on dates or have fun with friends. I've seen you both with that small girl with those braids. You may not be able to hang around with her anymore, either.

Alphonse – Even so, after watching the way you keep doing your best…

Winry – That's right. I don't really care about all that stuff if it means doing what you do Mustang-san. We both really look up to you.

Roy then stopped walking, which made Alphonse and Winry stop as well.

Roy – What makes you think I'm a person worth looking up to?

Alphonse and Winry looked very surprised.

Roy – I bet you both didn't know… but even adults have it hard too. We only push ourselves and pretend to be cool. We also get hurt or scared, and yet there's no one we can talk to. All we can do is cry silently by ourselves. I'm not even that heroic. Sometimes my pride gets in the way and I purposefully act all highmighty in front of others, so I have a reputation for making enemies as well. The truth is, it isn't a good thing to be a magical contractor. Especially for children. And yet here I am… trying to encourage you two to become ones.

Alphonse and Winry stared at Roy, almost on the verge of tears as they understood his real feelings. Alphonse then smiled reassuringly.

Alphonse – I don't care if you think we're just children… you're not alone anymore, Mustang-san.

Winry – Al is right! Even if this is something we don't understand because we're kids… we want to stay by your side, Mustang-san. Especially when you truly need us.

Roy – You two… truly are good kids.

Roy turned around and kneeled down to Alphonse and Winry so that he was at eye level with them. Alphonse and Winry looked even more shocked once they saw the tears beginning to form in Roy's eyes.

Roy – Will you two really stand and fight with me from now on? Will you both really stay with me?

Alphonse and Winry both smiled, tears starting to form in their eyes as well.

Alphonse and Winry – Yes.

Alphonse – You're more than just our senior, Mustang-san.

Winry – You're our friend now.

Roy smiled and stood back up as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers, trying to regain his composure.

Roy – Now you two are really messing up my style. Some role model I'm supposed to be. I really just can't pull this off, can I?

Alphonse and Winry smiled.

Roy – But, it's not every day you can have a wish granted. So try to think of something you actually want. Even if it's something simple.

Winry – I guess so. It is a special chance, after all.

Roy – Well, you are still making a contract. You might as well get something out of it. You could wish to become a billionaire, or maybe to find true love. It can be anything you want.

Alphonse – Well…

Roy – Then, how about this? If either of you can't decide on a wish by the time I finish off this witch… we'll ask Kyubey to give us a huge feast with a fancy cake!

Alphonse and Winry – C-cake?!

Roy – Yeah! A much bigger and more extravagant cake than any old boring homemade one! We'll have a big celebration to commemorate the three of us becoming a magical contractor trio!

Alphonse – But, Mustang-san!

Winry – I don't think we could become magical contractors for a cake!

Roy – Then decide on a wish you really do want. How about those machine parts and tools you were talking about before, Winry?

Winry – Oh yeah! I can really use my wish for that?

The three once again began walking deeper into the labyrinth. Winry had a huge grin on her face and her eyes were sparkling again as she walked. Alphonse however, was deep in thought as he tried to think about his wish some more.

Alphonse – (I wonder, could I use my contract to help Mom and Dad get back together?)

Alphonse's eyes then widened as he realized something.

Alphonse – (Or maybe…? Why didn't I think of this before?! I could probably…!)

Roy smiled as he looked back at his two future juniors and current friends.

Kyubey – (Roy!)

Roy stopped again once he heard Kyubey. Back at the barrier's center, the lights on the sign turned off and the Grief Gears began to turn even faster as the magic circle from before appeared above them once again and a black aura began to arise from them.

Kyubey – (The Grief Gears are moving! They're going to hatch! Hurry!)

Back with Roy, Alphonse, and Winry, Roy grinned and held out his Soul Timer, which started to glow as he began his transformation.

Roy – All right! I understand! Today's a special day, so I'll finish it off fast!

Once Roy transformed he caught the attention of the familiars, causing them to start to gather towards the group. Roy snapped his fingers and placed another flame barrier around Alphonse and Winry with his magic circle standing underneath them. Then he flipped down towards the familiars, created multiple muskets and took his aim. Roy shot all the familiars that charged at him, reverting them to magical flower fragments. He kept creating more muskets and killed more familiars to clear the path for him and his friends.

Roy – (Weird, my body feels rather light. It's been so long since I've felt this happy during a fight. I'm not afraid of anything anymore.)

Roy landed back down to Alphonse and Winry, who were both smiling happily in amazement as they watched him fight. Roy then took Alphonse's hand, Alphonse took Winry's hand, and the three of them ran off together to get to the very center of the barrier.

Roy – (Because… I'm not alone anymore!)

* * *

The three friends opened the last door leading to the center of the labyrinth, which had party decorations set everywhere, millions of presents sitting by the walls, and a big purple table with a large tea set and lots of sweets set on top of it. Roy and the others saw Kyubey sitting on top of a few large present boxes that were close to the entrance and they quickly ran over to him.

Roy – We're here!

Kyubey – You're just in time. Be careful. It's coming!

The three looked straight ahead and put on serious faces as they watched the witch finally hatch. This witch was incredibly small, she looked like a small doll made out of yellow ribbons and was wearing a big yellow bonnet, a green apron dress, a yellow poncho tied with a rainbow ribbon, and striped tights. Once she came into view, she flew down and hovered over the tea table. Her runes magically appeared just above her head saying, Candeloro, The Dress-up Witch. She then quickly flew to her right side, avoiding a large blast of fire. Roy was then shown standing not too far away from the tea table, which was almost completely set on fire due to the fire blast. He was also holding up his right hand with his fingers in a finished snapping position.

Roy – Sorry to rain on your parade. But unfortunately, I'm not going to give you any time to stay!

Roy snapped again, creating more muskets, which he shot at Candeloro, but she continued to avoid each attack. However, he then snapped his fingers once more and a bunch of flames quickly surrounded Candeloro, trapping her. Roy then shot a few more muskets and finally hit the small witch.

Winry – You did it!

Roy grinned. Candeloro stopped moving due to the stun from his previous attacks, which gave him enough time to transform his small musket into an even bigger one. Roy's magic circle appeared beneath his feet once more and he held his giant musket up to take his aim.

Roy – Too easy.

Roy's big musket then grew even bigger and he fired it. The large, blazing fire bullet made direct contact with its target, however instead of completely destroying Candeloro, the attack easily ripped through her as if it had torn through cloth, which shocked Roy. The rest of Candeloro's body then unraveled, revealing itself to be a dummy of the witch made out of a bunch of ribbons. The ribbons then swiftly zoomed straight towards Roy, giving him no time to dodge, and wrapped themselves around his body, trapping and squeezing him tightly.

Roy – (No way! A trap?!)

Roy grimaced in slight pain as the ribbons continued to squeeze him tighter, then he looked up and his eyes widened with shock. Candeloro's real body had appeared, except for it was much larger than the witch's original size. Roy helplessly watched in shock as the giant witch charged straight at him and opened her large mouth, her jaws just inches away from his head. Alphonse and Winry gasped in horror as they watched Candeloro attack Roy. The large witch then bit down.

* * *

Back with Edward, the flames entrapping him suddenly died out. He walked closer and kneeled down to the tiny leftover flames that were quickly burning out and he stared at them in disbelief.

Edward – It can't be…

Roy's body was then shown dangling in the air, being held up by his head from Candeloro's mouth. The ribbons binding his body then disappeared and his Soul Timer was shown falling down to the ground, the chain was broken and the entire watch had lots of large cracks in it, most likely caused from the ribbons strong and tightening grip around Roy's waist. The orange and slightly broken watch finally hit the hard ground, causing it to completely shatter. Roy's clothes changed back to normal and Candeloro finally finished taking her first bite out of him, causing the rest of his body to fall to the ground. The large witch flew after the body once it hit the ground and she continued to eat what was left of it. Alphonse and Winry watched in complete shock and horror as they kept their eyes glued to the horrifying scene. No matter how much both of them wanted to look away, they just couldn't.

Kyubey – You two! Make a contract with me right now! Alphonse! Winry!

Alphonse and Winry huddled closer together, terrified out of their minds. Once Candeloro was finished eating, she looked up and stared straight at the two. Alphonse and Winry felt even more scared once they saw her looking at them.

Kyubey – Decide on a wish! Hurry!

Edward – That won't be necessary.

Kyubey, Alphonse, and Winry turned around once they heard Edward's voice, but once they looked away, Candeloro started charging at Alphonse and Winry, opening her mouth again so she could eat them as well. Alphonse and Winry quickly looked back towards Candeloro once they heard her begin to charge at them. The two then hugged each other tighter, shut their eyes, and screamed a little as they waited for their end. However, just then Edward jumped in from of them and held his armored arm out, creating a magical force field, which blocked away Candeloro. He glared at the witch strongly as he protected Alphonse and Winry.

Edward – Damn you. Keep away… from my classmates!

Edward's force field then glowed brighter and pushed back Candeloro. He then jumped onto the large tea table, directly facing the giant witch.

Edward – I'll be your next opponent.

Candeloro leaned forward and chomped her jaws down on Edward, but then she looked up in confusion as she saw him stand up at a farther distance in front of her. Alphonse and Winry watched the battle closely, both of them still in shock. Edward jumped further away from Candeloro and looked back at her, his eyes almost daring her to attack again. Candeloro seemed to accept his challenge as she quickly flew over and bit down again, but he once again reappeared in front of her. Candeloro kept attempting to eat Edward, but he continued to avoid her somehow. After taking one final bite, Candeloro actually did swallow something, but instead of a person, it turned out to be multiple bombs, which caused her to explode as soon as she swallowed. Edward then landed back on the tea table straight in front of Candeloro, completely unfazed as he watched her blow up. He glanced back at Alphonse and Winry and started walking towards them, undoing his transformation as he walked. Alphonse and Winry looked a bit scared as they watched Edward come closer to them, however his eyes had softened once again, which reassured them a little.

Edward – One moment later and you both would have been dead.

Edward stopped in his tracks once he got close enough to Alphonse and Winry. Back behind him, the Grief Gears had fallen down and landed on the tea table.

Edward – Burn this sight into your minds. This is what it means to be a magical contractor.

Alphonse and Winry, who were still shocked, began to cry as the truth of Roy's death began to roll through their heads. The labyrinth then started to disappear.

* * *

Once they were back at the hospital, Edward walked over to where the Grief Gears had landed and glared at them hardly as he picked them up.

Winry – You knew… didn't you?

Edward glanced over at Winry, softening his gaze a little once again. Winry didn't look mad, but she had big tears streaming down her face as she looked at Edward. Alphonse was still on his knees, crying while facing the ground.

Winry – You knew… about that witch. That's why… that's why you tried to stop us, right?! So why?! Why did it turn out like this?! Why did Mustang-san…? Why did this happen?!

Edward looked at Winry sympathetically.

Edward – I can't tell you that. This is just how Roy Mustang ended up losing his life. Nothing can change that.

Winry – But… it's unfair!

Edward began to walk forward but he stopped once he was at Winry and Alphonse's side.

Edward – I must also bear some responsibility for failing to prevent this from happening when I had the chance. I'm sorry for that.

Edward then walked away and left Winry and Alphonse alone so they could cry as much as they wanted over their lost friend.

* * *

**And… It is done.**

**I know, (sniff) I'm sorry. But I had to do that. I'm so sorry… Whaaaaaa!(sarcastic crying / But really, I'm actually sad I had to do this.)**

**I decided to have both Alphonse and Winry go get Roy so that Winry's opinion about Edward wouldn't be as bad as Sayaka's was about Homura, because it was really Mami's death that made Sayaka so distrustful of her. The reason why I can't have Edward and Winry at each other's throats is because… I think you know the answer. Hint, hint(smirk.)**

**In this f****ic, Gracia is Winry's biological mother and Maes is her boyfriend. Gracia was married before, but due to untold circumstances we can assume that he's either dead or he left. Maes was in a car accident and got hurt really badly, which is why he is in the hospital. Elicia has not been born, reason for that is hinted later on in the story(Spoiler alert! - And will be revealed in this story's sequel. Yes, I am making a Rebellion version of this fic.)**

**I replaced Charlotte with Candeloro because Mami is a necessity to this fic's Rebellion story plot.(Another spoiler alert!) Also, since Soul Timers are also strapped to magical contractors' waists when they are transformed, Roy's death had to have happened a little differently than Mami's did.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aaaannnnndddddd… I'm back!**

**Now here's where things get juicy! Roy is gone and Alphonse and Winry just learned the true horrors of fighting wraiths and witches. What will our heroes do now?**

**BTW - I forgot to mention this before: There's a certain writing format used for however a character is speaking.**

**Anything in italics means that the narration is a flashback**

**Any sentences within parenthesis mean that the characters are either thinking or using telepathy**

**Any sentences that are in bold means that the character is talking in a holy powerful voice(This format will only be used once we see Alphonse's god form)**

**That reminds me! I've got a perfect play on words for you guys: If Kami means god, and MadoKami means God Madoka, then do you know what Alphonse's god name is? AlKami! Get it? Because it sounds like Alchemy!**

* * *

Later on, Winry finally managed to get home. However she was still upset about Roy's death.

Winry – Mom, I'm home!

Gracia – Welcome home!

Winry sadly walked into her living room and saw her mom sitting on the couch. Despite the smile Gracia gave Winry, her eyes were red and puffed up, as if she was just crying. Winry walked over to the couch to sit with her mom.

Winry – Mom? Were you crying?

Gracia – What? No, no, I'm all right.

Gracia wiped her eyes and tried to look happier.

Gracia – I was just cutting onions for dinner that's all.

Winry then looked down.

Winry – Is it Hughes-san?

Gracia's eyes widened, but then they relaxed.

Gracia – Yes.

Winry – I overheard what the doctor said… how Hughes-san's condition has worsened.

Gracia – I see. You heard that.

Winry – Is it true? That when they do the surgery… he might…?

Winry looked like she was about to cry again as well.

Gracia – Yes, that's what the doctor told me.

Tears began to form in Winry's eyes. Gracia noticed this and put on a smile again.

Gracia – But, we won't know for sure until it happens. Maes is a strong person. Knowing him, he won't go down so easily. That's why we shouldn't worry so much.

Gracia hugged Winry close to her.

Gracia – Maes wouldn't want us to think like that either.

Winry felt a tiny bit reassured, but still a little uneasy.

Winry – Yeah.

Gracia – Now, why don't we go eat dinner?

Gracia got up and walked towards the kitchen. Winry stayed on the couch for a while and thought to herself.

Winry – (Why did this happen to Hughes-san? He never did anything wrong. And yet fate decided to do this to him… just like Mustang-san. Why? I don't understand.)

Winry then looked up at the ceiling.

Winry – (If I used my wish to heal Hughes-san… then it could save his life. But, what would Hughes-san think if I did that? Would he thank me? If he did, would I just be content with the fact that he's okay? Or would I want him to be grateful just because I was the one who saved him?)

Winry then looked down again.

Winry – I'm… a horrible person. (Now that I think about it, back then I didn't know anything. What it meant to wish for a miracle… and what the price would be.)

* * *

The next morning at Alphonse's house, he and Trisha were once again eating breakfast together, however Alphonse was quiet this time. He stared at his breakfast plate sadly, thinking about Roy. He remembered all the times Roy fought, all the things he taught them and shared with them, and then Alphonse remembered his death from the last witch they faced.

Trisha – Al?

Alphonse quickly looked up in surprise once Trisha called his name.

Alphonse – Huh? What?

Trisha – If you don't hurry up and eat, you'll be late for school.

Alphonse – Oh, right.

Alphonse began to eat, but he couldn't stop thinking about Roy, which made him start crying. Trisha noticed and grew concerned.

Trisha – What's wrong, Al? Does it taste bad?

Alphonse didn't look at Trisha and he wiped his eyes.

Alphonse – No… It's good. It's really good. Because I'm alive, I can eat your great cooking, Mom…

On the way to school, Alphonse and Winry were extremely quite but May seemed to be in quite a good mood as she was telling them a story.

May – So, I kept trying to explain to Yuka and she still didn't get it. She was almost crying, like, "Huh? Did I say something weird again?" It was actually getting really hard not to laugh.

Alphonse – (Winry… About yesterday…)

Winry – (Sorry, Al. But can we talk about it later?)

Winry put on a forced smile and ran up to May.

Winry – I'm surprised, that's pretty unlady like of you, May.

The two girls started laughing, May then turned to Alphonse.

May – What do you think, Alphonse-sama?

Alphonse put on a forced smile as well to keep May from getting suspicious.

Alphonse – Huh? Well, I actually agree with Winry.

During class, Alphonse and Winry seemed to be paying attention to Izumi's lesson, but the truth was that were they barely paying any attention to what she was saying since their minds kept wandering off to the events from the other day. Edward turned his head slightly to look back at the two; his eyes held concern. He could tell just by looking at their faces that they couldn't get over what had happened.

* * *

Once lunch break came, Alphonse and Winry went to the roof again. Both of them were silent as Kyubey watched them, until Alphonse was the first to speak.

Alphonse – It… feels like we're in a foreign country or something. Even though nothing about school, May, or Sensei has changed since yesterday… Somehow, it feels like I'm surrounded by strangers…

Winry – It's because no one knows. No one knows about wraiths… witches… or even Mustang-san… It's because we know, and no one else does. It's like we're seeing and living in an entirely different world from them. But our world had already changed long before this. We should have realized that sooner.

Alphonse – Winry…

Winry – Al, do you still want to be a magical contractor, even now?

Alphonse didn't say anything and he looked down, giving Winry the message that he didn't.

Winry – Yeah, I know. I don't blame you.

Alphonse – I know it's unfair… I know it's way too selfish of me to back out now, but…

Alphonse began to cry as he talked.

Alphonse – But I just can't. Just thinking about the way Mustang-san died… Even now, it gets so hard to breathe…

Winry looked at Alphonse sadly, tears began to well up in her eyes as she listened to her friend.

Alphonse – I'm scared… I don't want that…!

Winry hugged Alphonse close to her.

Winry – Mustang-san… was truly a kind-hearted person. To make us really understand what kind of resolve we'd need in order to fight… he…

Winry couldn't finish what she was saying either, as she tried to hold in her tears.

Winry – Hey, Kyubey… What's going to happen to this town? Who's going to fight to protect everyone from the wraiths and witches from now on? Is it going to be Edward? He is already a magical contractor, after all.

Kyubey – This town has been Roy's territory for a long time. Edward Chrono doesn't seem to have any interest in taking this city for himself, though.

Alphonse – Really?

Kyubey – But once the other magical contractors realize Roy's gone, they won't stay back for long. I'm sure one of them will arrive here soon to hunt wraiths and witches.

Winry – But will they only care about finding Grief Gears?

Kyubey – It's true that magical contractors like Roy are rare. Most do approach wraith and witch-hunting with their own benefit in mind. But it's natural for people to want to be rewarded for their work.

Winry – Then-

Kyubey – But I think the only ones who have a right to judge their actions… are their fellow magical contractors, who bear the same destiny they do.

Alphonse and Winry widened their eyes but they didn't say anything. Kyubey then sighed.

Kyubey – All right, I understand. It really is an awful shame, but I can't force you, after all. I guess this is good-bye then. I'd better go search for people with greater need to make a contract with me.

Alphonse – I'm sorry, Kyubey.

Winry – Me too.

Kyubey – No, I should apologize for getting you both mixed up in all this. Though we weren't together for long, thank you, Alphonse, Winry. It was fun.

Kyubey then left. Alphonse and Winry were left sitting with only each other. Alphonse continued to stare at the ground as a tinge of guilt kept tugging at his heart.

Alphonse – I'm sorry…

* * *

Later on that day, Alphonse stopped by Roy's house and rang his doorbell, however no one answered. Noticing that it was unlocked, Alphonse opened the door and entered the empty house. He then walked into Roy's living room and set his notebook with his magical contractor designs down on the small table where he, Winry, and Roy ate cake together when he first explained the concept of magical contractors to them. Alphonse looked down at his notes sadly and then he began to weep again.

Alphonse – I'm sorry. For being so weak… I'm sorry, Mustang-san…

Alphonse let himself cry in Roy's house for a while before he left. Once he exited the house, he looked up in surprise to see Edward standing in front of him.

Alphonse – Edward…

Alphonse wiped his eyes, then Edward started walking towards him. Alphonse also noticed that Edward's gaze was soft and reassuring this time, which relaxed him.

Edward – You're blaming yourself too much for this, Alphonse Elric. No one could criticize you for anything you've done. And even if they did, I wouldn't permit it.

Alphonse looked a little startled once he heard Edward say that. For some reason, there was a look in Edward's eyes at that moment that felt familiar to Alphonse.

Edward – I guess you've taken my warning to heart?

Alphonse – Yeah…

Edward and Alphonse began walking home together.

Alphonse – If I had only listened to you earlier…

Edward – It wouldn't have changed Roy Mustang's fate.

Alphonse sighed.

Edward – But I was able to change yours and Winry Rockbell's. I'm glad I was able to save at least you two.

Alphonse's eyes widened.

Alphonse – Hey, Edward… You seem like you're a veteran too. Though in a different way from Mustang-san…

Edward – I guess so. I won't deny it.

Alphonse was silent for a moment.

Alphonse – Have you seen a lot of people die like yesterday?

Edward – Yes.

Alphonse – How many?

Edward – Too many to try keeping count of anymore.

Alphonse started to feel sad again.

Alphonse – I wonder if Mustang-san's apartment will just stay like that.

Edward – Roy Mustang didn't have any close relatives. But he was a well-known teacher at our school. It shouldn't be too long before a missing person's report will be filed for him.

Alphonse – What? You mean no one will even know that Mustang-san is dead?

Edward – There's nothing we can do about it. If someone dies on the other side, there won't be a body left behind. In this world, he will remain as a missing person forever. That is the end that all magical contractors meet.

Alphonse looked very shocked from Edward's last sentence, then he stopped walking and began to cry once more. Edward soon stopped as well and turned around to face him.

Alphonse – What's with that? That's horrible! Mustang-san fought to protect everyone for so long on his own! He only acted tough on the outside… but it was really very painful for him! And no one will even realize he's dead… that's just too cruel!

Edward – That's just the nature of the contract that grants us the power we hold. It's not that we fight to protect people… We fight for the sake of our own wishes. If our deaths go unnoticed by others… and we are ultimately forgotten by this world… I guess that's just something that cannot be helped.

Edward looked a bit sad as he spoke.

Alphonse – I won't forget.

Edward looked up at Alphonse with slight surprise, to see Alphonse gazing at him strongly.

Alphonse – I'll never forget about Mustang-san! Never!

Edward – I see. I'm sure that with those words alone, Roy Mustang will be truly happy. I envy him.

Alphonse then stepped forward to move closer to Edward.

Alphonse – You too, Edward! I swear I'll never forget you either! I'll definitely never forget… about how you saved us yesterday!

Edward's eyes widened just a little and then he clenched his fist lightly.

Alphonse – Edward…?

Edward – You're too kind, Alphonse Elric.

Alphonse – Huh?

Edward – Remember this… Use that kindness wisely for your own good. Otherwise it may bring about an even greater tragedy.

Alphonse looked pretty startled. He continued to stare surprisingly at Edward as he watched him walk away.

* * *

Later on that evening, Winry was once again visiting Maes in the hospital. Maes was once again showing her the pictures Gracia gave him of when Winry was just a baby.

Maes – And I just absolutely love this one! Perhaps playing with that little toy wrench is what got you into mechanics in the first place.

Winry giggled a little.

Winry – Actually, it is.

Maes looked shocked.

Maes – What, really? I was just joking.

Winry – It's true. I loved playing with building kits so much… it inspired me to study machinery once I was old enough.

Maes – Is that so? And you truly are amazing at it as well. If I were to call upon any mechanic in the world if I needed something fixed, it would definitely be you, Winry.

Winry blushed.

Winry – Well, most people don't see me as the type who would be interested in those kinds of things. Sometimes, people get so impressed with me when I can fix their broken clocks or something so easily. Since I am a girl after all, they would probably just think that I'd rather talk about boys or go shopping for clothes and stuff.

Winry paused for a moment, then she smiled even more.

Winry – That's why… it really means a lot to me… to hear you say that, Hughes-san. Most people would usually just call me a nerd or a gearhead if I told them this.

Maes – You should always be proud of your passion, Winry.

Winry – Right.

Maes – Hey, Winry?

Winry – What is it?

Maes – I thought I should let you know first… They've moved up the schedule for my surgery.

Winry looked shocked.

Winry – When is it?

Maes – Tomorrow.

Winry's eyes widened in horror.

Winry – What?! Tomorrow?! But… isn't that too soon?!

Maes then frowned.

Maes – The results from my tests were worse than they hoped. The operation has to be done as soon as possible. Or else, my body might never heal.

Winry – No way…

Maes noticed that tears began to well up in Winry's eyes, so he smiled and patted her head again.

Maes – Come on, don't give me that face. I've already told you… your old man won't be brought down by something like this. Even if the procedure has to be done sooner than we expected, it won't change anything. We have to have faith in the doctors. They know what they're doing.

Winry gave a small smile.

Winry – Yeah.

After a while, Winry walked out of Maes's room since she was ready to go, however she didn't leave once she closed the door. After standing still for a moment, she slightly opened the door again just a little to take a quick peek at Maes. She then gasped silently as she saw tears leaking down his face and she watched in horror as she listened to Maes as he talked to himself.

Maes – I'm sorry, Gracia. I'm sorry, Winry… for putting you both through all of this. I already know about my fatal condition. The doctor told me himself… that current technology might not be enough after all.

Winry's eyes began to form tears again as she kept listening.

Maes – I truly love both of you so much… but in the end, I guess fate had already been decided. It would probably take until miracles or magic start existing in this world to fix up this old man.

Winry couldn't bear to hear anymore, so she closed the door completely, however she didn't move.

Winry – They do exist.

Winry clenched her fists tightly and shook them slightly.

Winry – Miracles… and magic… are real!

Winry lifted her head up sharply at her last sentence; her eyes were strong and filled with pure determination. Then she sharply turned around and kept her gaze as she looked out the window, seeing Kyubey's silhouette sitting right outside the windowsill, looking at her.

* * *

Once night fell, Alphonse was still walking through the city, thinking about his conversation with Edward.

Alphonse – Edward… When I actually tried talking with him, it seemed like we could really be friends. So why did he end up fighting with Mustang-san?

Alphonse then noticed something and looked over to his left side.

Alphonse – Huh?

He saw May walking down the street.

Alphonse – May? May!

Alphonse ran over to May.

Alphonse – Don't you have your lessons to-

Alphonse then noticed something else… May had a wraith's or a witch's kiss shaped like a TV on her neck.

Alphonse – (That mark! It's the same as that woman's-)

Alphonse ran in front of May and tried to get her attention.

Alphonse – May! Hey! May, snap out of it!

May then seemed to notice Alphonse, however she still seemed dazed.

May – Ah, Alphonse-sama! Good evening.

Alphonse – May, what happened to you? Where are you going?

May – I'm going somewhere far better than here…

Alphonse – What?

May – Oh, I know! You should come along too, Alphonse-sama! Oh yes. That would be truly wonderful!

May began to walk away again. Not knowing what else to do, Alphonse followed her.

Alphonse – (What should I do? This couldn't be…?)

* * *

As Alphonse followed May to wherever she was heading, he saw many more people who had the same wraith or witch's kiss on their necks heading in the same direction. Alphonse began to get even more worried seeing how this wraith or witch had taken over so many people.

Alphonse – (If only I could contact Edward… Oh, I can't! I don't have his cell phone number!)

May, Alphonse, and all the other people finally reached their destination, an abandoned factory. Some factory workers who were also taken over by the wraith or witch were already waiting inside for the other people to arrive.

Factory Man – It's true… I'm completely… worthless… I couldn't even keep such a tiny factory running… In an era like this one… there's just no place for someone like me…

The doors to the factory then closed, trapping everyone inside. A woman then came over to the center of the room and put an empty pail down. Then she opened two bottles and poured the liquids from them both into the pail. As she did so, another man started walking over to the pail, while holding another container. Alphonse recognized the liquids the people were using and he remembered something Trisha once told him about them.

_Trisha__ – __Listen closely, Al. Don't ever mistake this one for the other, or the results could be fatal. We both could end up dead. Make sure you never mix up these bottles, understand?_

_Alphonse__ – __Yeah. I understand._

Back in the present, Alphonse grew horrified as he realized what the people were trying to do.

Alphonse – No, stop! Don't use those!

Alphonse threw away his schoolbag and tried to run over and stop the people, but May then stopped him.

May – Don't interfere. This is a sacred ceremony.

Alphonse – But those chemicals are dangerous! Everyone here will die!

May just smiled.

May – That's right. All of us are going to journey to a magnificent new world together. Don't you see how wonderful that will be? These physical bodies would simply get in our way. I'm sure you'll understand very soon, Alphonse-sama.

Everyone in the factory clapped from May's speech, but Alphonse just stared at her with horror, disbelief, and soon enough even slight anger.

Alphonse – Don't be ridiculous! As if I can let you do that!

Alphonse tugged his arm away from May's grasp and ran over to the bucket, which he picked up and then ran to the closest window he could find. Alphonse then threw the pail straight threw the glass of the window and the bucket fell to the ground, spilling the two mixed liquids inside of it. Alphonse looked slightly relieved as he stared at the broken window, since what he did at least put everyone out of danger. But then, Alphonse quickly turned around after hearing the other container that the other man was holding drop. Everyone in the factory, including May began to close in on Alphonse, most likely due to the effects of the wraith or witch's curse; Alphonse still felt terrified as he was being cornered. He tried opening the window, but it wouldn't budge, so he slid over to his left side until his hand felt a doorknob. Alphonse grabbed the knob, opened the door, and went inside before the other people could reach him. Alphonse struggled a little to close the door, since the others were still coming after him, but he managed to shut it completely and then lock it as well.

Alphonse backed away from the door as he examined the room, but then he gasped once he saw signs of a labyrinth starting to form. Alphonse also heard voices he couldn't understand, which meant that they were the voices of the familiars. Alphonse was even more scared now than before.

Alphonse – Oh no! What should I do?!

Alphonse backed away from the forming labyrinth, which currently showed a bunch of white horses with inhuman eyes and smiles that were similar to the ones Gertrud's cotton ball familiars had. Alphonse then backed into a bunch of TVs that were sitting behind him and he took a fighting stance, even though he knew regular martial arts wouldn't be very effective against wraiths or witches. The TVs behind him then turned on and a bunch of angel familiars came out of them and grabbed Alphonse's arms and legs.

Alphonse – No way! Somebody! Please help me!

The familiars then seemed to rip Alphonse apart, but they were really just bringing him to the center of the barrier. Alphonse was then shown floating within the center of the labyrinth, which was wide, open spaced, and seemed to have no gravity, making it possible for anyone to fly around in it. The barrier's background was blue and there were outside linings of horse carousels along the walls. Alphonse then saw above him two giant angel familiars carrying a big white TV that had black wings. The screen of the TV had a big blue and green circle for the background along with a silhouette of a boy in the middle of the screen standing on a platform with three angel familiars standing at both of his sides. Even though Alphonse couldn't read them, there were also runes flashing behind the boy in the screen, which said Kirsten, The Box Wraith.

Alphonse then looked at one of the moving carousels along the walls and saw that there were TVs on the horses and there were also TVs replacing the heads of some angel familiars flying within the carousels. The TVs then began showing Alphonse his memories of Roy, which started to haunt him as he began to recall all the guilt he felt from everything since Roy's death.

Alphonse – (I wonder if this… is my punishment. For being such a coward… and a liar. I guess this… is the punishment I deserve.)

Alphonse then saw Kirsten float down and pass by him while laughing. Then four large angel familiars grabbed Alphonse's arms and legs and began to pull them. Alphonse cried out in pain as the familiars stretched him, but he didn't struggle as he awaited his death. Just then, streaks of blue light shot across the familiars and killed them, then it smashed into Kirsten as well. Alphonse snapped out of his faze of despair and looked over to see that the source of the flying blue light that saved him was Winry wearing a green bandana on her head, a dark navy blue tube top with a neckband that had grey outlines, a small grey cape hanging from her tube top that was only long enough to reach her waist, a short light purple skirt with a light purple flap hanging over it, brown boots that went up to her knees, short brown gloves, and long grey sleeves that went all the way up to her shoulders. Winry was also holding a sword in her hands and she had a blue Soul Timer strapped to her waist, which had a magic circle on it that had different designs from Roy's magic circle just like all the wraiths and witches magic circles did. Alphonse gasped in shock once he saw Winry.

Alphonse – Winry?!

Winry then looked over to see more angel familiars appearing out of Kirsten. Winry easily fought off the angel familiars, then she flew over to Kirsten and struck him down once more. As Kirsten fell, Winry continued to fly after him with great speed, preparing to give her final blow.

Winry – This is your punishment for trying to hurt Al!

Winry struck Kirsten down one final time and pushed him all the way to the floor, smashing him and causing black ink to spurt out of his body. The anti-gravity in Kirsten's barrier turned off since he was now dead, and the carousels along the walls fell to the ground as well. Kirsten's Grief Gears hovered over his smashed body as the barrier began to collapse. Meanwhile, Edward was watching the factory from outside with an unpleasant look on his face.

* * *

Everyone in the factory who was affected by Kirsten was now either unconscious or starting to wake up. Winry and Al however were still in the room Alphonse had locked himself in earlier, except for instead of TVs, there was a big sliced hole in the wall leading to outside, which Winry must have cut herself.

Winry – Sorry about that! I cut it pretty close, didn't I?

Alphonse – Winry… Those clothes… and that watch… did you…?

Winry – Yes, I did. I made the contract.

Alphonse – What? But I thought…

Winry – Well… I guess I had a change of heart.

Winry then noticed that Alphonse looked worried.

Winry – Hey, it's all right. Besides, even if it was my first time, I did pretty well, didn't I?

Alphonse – I guess…

At the sound of a footstep, Alphonse looked up and Winry sharply turned around to see Edward staring at them through the hole Winry created, but he looked pretty angry.

Edward – You… idiot!

Alphonse and Winry recoiled a little from the harsh tone of Edward's voice. Edward then came inside and walked towards Winry.

Edward – Do you have any idea what you've done! How could you be so stupid!

Winry then stepped forward to defend herself.

Winry – I had a wish I wanted granted! Is that really stupid?! Besides… you were pretty late this time! If I wasn't here to stop that wraith… Al would have been killed!

Edward then gritted his teeth after Winry said that. Winry continued to stare strongly at Edward and Alphonse watched nervously.

Edward – Fine.

Edward then turned around to leave.

Edward – Make sure you don't regret this decision. You should know what you're getting yourself into by now, after all.

Edward then walked away, but Alphonse and Winry continued to stare after him.

* * *

Maes was then shown being examined by some doctors again. One nurse who was watching his readings suddenly gasped as she examined the screen. Another doctor came over to see what she was so surprised about.

Random Doctor – What's wrong?

Nurse – C-come look at this!

The doctor looked at the readings, then gasped himself.

Random Doctor – I'll go get the doctor!

The man rushed out of the room. Maes opened his eyes since he heard what the doctors were saying, then he glanced over at the wall outside of the testing room and managed to overhear the conversation going on.

Random Doctor – Doctor! Doctor!

Doctor – What is it? Is there something wrong?

Random Doctor – It's Hughes-san's readings! They're…!

Maes's eyes widened with shock as he heard what the man had said. Meanwhile, at the electric towers that ran along the borders of East City, a woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes was shown standing on one of the towers, looking down on the city. Kyubey was then shown sitting next to her.

Kyubey – I didn't think you would come…

Riza – When news travels from this city, I make it my job to be the first one to know.

The woman turned her head to face Kyubey.

Riza – Well, is it true? Mustang was really defeated?

Kyubey – That's right.

Riza – I see. Then that should mean that this city's now open. But, it sounds like the situation's changed from what you told me.

Kyubey – Sorry, but this territory has already been taken over by another magical contractor. Though she only just made the contract a short while ago.

The woman looked a little taken back.

Riza – What?! This could become quite a problem.

Riza turned her head back around and thought for a moment.

Riza – But, after coming all this way… I'm not about to let myself back down and allow a beginner to take charge of such prime territory.

Kyubey – What do you intend to do, Riza?

Riza grinned.

Riza – What do you think?

Riza turned her head around to face Kyubey again.

Riza – There's only one thing to do when an obstacle blocks your path.

Riza's eyes were shown up close as they narrowed.

Riza – You clear it away.

* * *

**Whoa… Winry's in trouble, cause Riza's in town.**

**I had a hard time figuring out what Winry's magical contractor clothes would look like, but eventually I came up with something that resembled her ****auto mail gear and fighting clothes to make the ideal magical girl outfit for her. Let me know if you like what I did.**

**Thanks, look forward to the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yo! It's Chapter 5, and I'm feeling alive! Can't say much for timing, but a lot for ****rhyming!**

**I'm just kidding, I'm not really a rhymer. But I love sharing my ideas with others. I hope you liked the last chapter because things are about to get even more interesting. Well, here you go.**

**BTW - I forgot to mention this last time when I was talking about how different writing formats are used in this story. If the names of the characters and their dialog is both in bold, then that means the person is talking on the other end of a phone.**

* * *

The next morning at school, Alphonse, Winry, and May were sitting together in the classroom. Just then, May yawned.

May – Oh, excuse me.

Winry – What's wrong, May? Did you get enough sleep?

May – Not really. I was up late at the hospital last night having to deal with the police.

Alphonse and Winry acted surprised even though they already knew what had happened.

Winry – What? What happened?

May – I seemed to have been sleepwalking or something. The weird thing is that there were many other people who did the same thing. When I woke up, we were all collapsed in the same place together.

Winry – That's quite a coincidence.

May – I know. The doctor said that we all suffered from a mass hallucination or something. So, I have to go back for more tests after school today. It's such a pain.

May sighed.

Alphonse – Maybe you should've just stayed home today.

May – No way! That would make me look like I really was sick. My family's already worried enough as it is.

Winry – That's just like you, isn't it, May?

Winry and May smiled, Alphonse however seemed a bit more down since he was worried about Winry. Edward was also watching the three of them from his desk, but he wasn't glaring. He actually looked pretty concerned as well.

* * *

After school ended, Winry and Alphonse were sitting together by a stream near the wind turbines. Winry stretched her arms up to the sky happily.

Winry – I haven't felt this good in a while, actually. I feel so refreshed.

Alphonse glanced over at Winry.

Alphonse – Winry… Aren't you scared at all?

Winry – Well, a little. But I managed to beat that wraith yesterday pretty easily. Besides, when I think about how I almost lost both of my best friends… you and May… that scares me a lot more.

Alphonse – Winry…

Winry – That's why…

Winry turned to Alphonse and held out her closed Soul Timer to him.

Winry – I'm not exactly sure what to call it. Maybe, self-confidence? Or relief? I actually kind of feel a little proud of myself right now, too.

Winry then stood up.

Winry – Well! I guess this officially makes me East City's new primary magical contractor. I wasn't really prepared to take on the responsibility of protecting an entire city… but I'll definitely do my best!

Winry held up her hand and gripped it into a fist as she looked up to the sky with determination in her eyes and a smile on her face. Alphonse still felt uneasy though.

Alphonse – You really don't have any regrets at all?

Winry looked down at Alphonse, then she looked down at the ground.

Winry – Well… if there is something I do regret…

Winry thought about Roy.

Winry – it's probably that I waited too long.

Alphonse looked up at Winry surprisingly.

Winry – Since I ended up becoming one anyway, I feel like I should have made up my mind sooner.

Winry then turned back around and sat down again.

Winry – If I had been there to fight that witch with Mustang-san, then he probably wouldn't have died.

Alphonse – I see.

Alphonse thought back to when Roy told him and Winry how he wasn't really as strong and reliable as they had thought he was and how he was really just lonely and scared, just like they were. Winry then knocked her knuckle on Alphonse's head, which snapped him out of his thoughts.

Winry – Come on, you're not thinking something silly, are you?

Alphonse – Well…

Winry – It's only easy for me to say so because I've already become one. The important thing is that I've made my decision. Honestly, I'm not sure if I was truly meant to be a magical contractor…

Alphonse – Winry?

Winry – But, I found something I truly wished for. Something that I don't care having to risk my life fighting for, just like Mustang-san wanted me to. That fact alone gives me enough reason. But I guess the one frustrating thing… is how long it took me to realize how much this wish meant to me.

Winry looked over to Alphonse, who looked at Winry with a little admiration.

Winry – That's why, you don't need to feel guilty, Al. This just means that it's okay if you don't want to become a magical contractor. All right?

Alphonse smiled a little at Winry.

Alphonse – Okay.

Winry then stood up.

Winry – Anyway… I have to get going now.

Alphonse – Do you have something planned for this afternoon?

Winry – Yeah.

* * *

That evening at the hospital, Winry and Gracia were both visiting Maes at the news of his miraculous recovery.

Gracia – Then, it's true?!

Maes – Yep! Your old man's going to be discharged pretty soon!

Winry – That's wonderful! I'm actually really glad they didn't need to do the surgery in the end.

Maes – I guess I am too, but I feel sorry for the doctors since they worked so hard for it.

Winry – I guess so.

Maes – Besides, we still have no idea why my body suddenly healed like that. So the doctors want to run a few more tests before I leave.

Gracia – I guess it can't be helped then. But, are you sure you feel all right, Maes? Is there any part of your body that feels strange at all?

Maes put on a guilty smile and he put his hand behind his head.

Maes – No. Actually, I feel so good that it's a little bit scary. It almost feels like the accident was just a bad dream or something. Sometimes I actually wonder why I'm in this bed in the first place.

Winry – Then I guess it's quite a miracle that you've recovered like this, Hughes-san.

Maes looked a little startled, then he looked up at the ceiling and smiled a little.

Maes – I guess it is. But, I also feel like this miracle happened…

Maes turned his head back to Winry and Gracia.

Maes – Because you both were always here for me.

Gracia put her hand to her mouth and tears started welling up in her eyes. Winry smiled deeply, then she closed her eyes and thought back to when she made her contract.

* * *

_Winry was standing on the hospital's roof with Kyubey sitting on a small pillar in front of her so he was at the same height as she was._

_Winry__ – __You can really grant any wish, right?_

_Kyubey__ – __Don't worry. Your wish is absolutely grantable. So… Ready?_

_Winry__ – __Yes. Do it._

_Kyubey gazed at Winry. Then he stretched his ears out till they met with her chest. Winry shut her eyes and squealed a little from the slight pain and a blue light began to erupt from where Kyubey's ears touched her. Winry then cried out some more as Kyubey moved his ears away and a bright blue glowing object came out of Winry's chest. The object was circular and its shape was still forming as it floated in the air. Winry opened her eyes as her body began to fall to the ground and she saw the blue object, which she figured was her Soul Timer._

_Kyubey__ – __Now… Open yourself and accept it._

_Winry's glowing Soul Timer began to float down towards her and she stretched out her hands to grab it._

_Kyubey__ – __This is your destiny._

_Winry's expression once again filled with determination as she grasped her Soul Timer in both of her hands just before she fell into a patch of flowers surrounding her and Kyubey on the ground._

Back in the present, Winry opened her eyes slowly and then looked up at Maes again.

Winry – In any case, we should definitely celebrate now that Hughes-san's going to be released soon.

Maes – That's right we should! And I now just how to start it!

Winry and Gracia then looked at each other nervously since they had a feeling of what Maes was thinking. He then brought out more pictures of Winry and Gracia with a big smile on his face and his cheeks flushing up again.

Maes – By starting the official "My Darling Gracia and Winry Exhibit!"

Winry and Gracia – Don't do embarrassing stuff like that as you please!

Gracia – I swear, Maes!

Gracia stood up and tried to grab the pictures from Maes but he refused to give them to her.

Maes – But I absolutely love this one! And just look at how cute you look in this dress!

Winry sighed nervously as she watched her mom try to retrieve their pictures, but then she smiled again as she continued to watch Gracia and Maes, since she knew that everything was going to be okay for her family now. Winry then looked out the window, up at the sky as she kept smiling.

Winry – (Mustang-san… My wish has been granted. There's no way I'll ever regret it. This is the happiest moment of my life.)

Gracia had finally gotten the pictures back and she began scolding Maes, who was over exaggeratedly crying. Winry began laughing at the whole situation.

* * *

Outside on a nearby watchtower, Riza was watching Winry through a telescope she enchanted with her magic. Her hair was now put up in a bird tail style, being held back with a clip barrette.

Riza – So she's the city's new magical contractor? I didn't expect her to be a child.

Kyubey was then shown sitting on a platform behind Riza.

Kyubey – Are you really going to pick a fight with her?

Riza – I don't like hurting children. But age and experience don't give any excuses when you fight on a battlefield. I'd expect at least you to know that.

Riza undid the magic she used on the telescope and turned it back to normal. Her magic then transferred back into her Soul Timer, which she was holding out. It was open, the inside was colored a light purple and the big needle was set straight on the number two.

Riza – But, why does it matter to you?

Kyubey – It may not all work out the way you imagine. There is another magical contractor in this city.

Riza looked intrigued.

Riza – Really? Who is it?

Kyubey – I'm not really sure myself.

Riza then looked confused.

Riza – Huh? What do you mean? If he's a magical contractor, then he must have made a contract with you, right?

Kyubey – You could say yes. You could also say no. He's quite the "irregularity." Even I can't guess when or where he'll strike.

Riza turned around.

Riza – I see. This will definitely make things more complicated. But, I guess it was foolish of me to think that everything would be easy from the beginning.

Riza then walked away, leaving Kyubey alone as he continued watching her.

* * *

Meanwhile at the cafe, Edward and Alphonse were sitting at a table together. Edward's expression was soft and curious this time.

Edward – So… What did you want to talk about?

Alphonse – Well… It's about Winry…

Edward didn't say anything, giving the impression that he was listening.

Alphonse – She's been my friend ever since we were little. So I know a lot about her. She does have a short temper and she can be pretty stubborn. She easily get's tempted and sometimes she won't back down from a fight, especially when she's angered… But she's a very wonderful person! She's kind-hearted and brave, if she thinks someone needs help, she'll try really hard for them… and when her friends are in trouble, she's always there to help them.

Edward – I've noticed. She's definitely that kind of person. But, as much as those all apply as strengths… they're equally fatal flaws for a magical contractor.

Alphonse – R-really?

Edward – Yeah. The one natural law of all magical contractors… is the equivalence of balance that we're burdened to carry. Our strengths and our weaknesses must weigh themselves out to be perfectly intact with one another. If not, then the consequences can be fatal. Unchecked kindness often grows into naivete, and brash courage can lead one to be caught off guard. But even so… it is our job to take that scale upon ourselves. Those who can't comprehend that are not fit to be magical contractors. Think of it as equivalent exchange, if you must.

Alphonse looked a little shocked.

Alphonse – But, that's…!

Edward – But I seem to be getting off topic. There's something you want to ask me, right?

Alphonse – R-right… Winry says she'll be all right by herself. But… When I think about what happened to Mustang-san… I'm scared something like that might happen to her as well.

Edward – It's understandable… that you'd be worried about her.

Alphonse – But, I don't know if I can do anything to help her now that she's a magical contractor, so… Edward, please… become friends with Winry. I don't want you two to end up fighting like you and Mustang-san did before. I think it would be better if we all worked together to fight wraiths and witches.

Edward looked at Alphonse's pleading eyes without saying anything. After a moment, Edward closed his eyes and broke the silence.

Edward – I don't like to lie. So I won't go to the lengths of deceiving you and only telling you the good parts. But, these kinds of matters are not that simple to resolve.

Edward then opened his eyes and once again looked directly at Alphonse.

Edward – If worse comes to worse… the easiest solution would be to give up on Winry Rockbell.

Alphonse looked a little shocked and saddened.

Alphonse – Give up on her?! But why?!

Edward – She shouldn't have made the contract. That was mostly my fault. I should have watched her more closely, as I watched you. But, you have to understand that it is a mistake that can never be corrected… just as the dead can never be revived. Once you become a magical contractor, there's no hope for salvation. When making the contract, it requires us to give up everything in exchange for a single wish.

Alphonse – Does that mean you've given up too, Edward? On both yourself and everyone else?

Edward closed his eyes again and grunted a little.

Edward – The contract may require us to give up… but that doesn't mean that I have yet.

Alphonse looked up in surprise at Edward, who opened his eyes once again.

Edward – If I truly did give up on everything… then there would be no point in fighting would there? If the laws of this world forbid me from achieving my goal, then I will oppose them. Even if I have to bear the greatest amount of sins, I must continue my fight. But, the one thing I'll never do, is kill another person. That's my vow.

Alphonse looked at Edward hopefully again.

Alphonse – Then-

Edward – I can't guarantee it, but I'll do whatever I can to help Winry Rockbell.

Alphonse smiled and sighed happily. Edward then slid out of his seat and prepared to leave.

Alphonse – Thank you, Edward.

Edward nodded to Alphonse, then he turned around and walked away as Alphonse watched him leave.

* * *

Later on at Winry's house, Winry walked up in front of the mirror in her room and looked straight at her reflection. Kyubey was lying down on her bed while wagging his ears in the air. Winry then slapped both of her cheeks twice to further prepare herself.

Kyubey – Are you nervous?

Winry – Of course I am! If I make one mistake, I'm done for, after all.

Winry then walked out of her house with Kyubey sitting on her shoulder. She then noticed that Alphonse was waiting outside for her.

Alphonse – Hey, Winry.

Winry – Al? What are you doing here?

Alphonse – I had a feeling you would be going out this late. Patrol duty right?

Winry – That's right! I've got to go search the entire city for wraiths and witches just like Mustang-san did before. Who knows how many could be out there tonight.

Alphonse – Will you be all right going by yourself?

Winry – Don't worry, I'll be okay. Mustang-san showed us how to do this plenty of times. As his junior, it would be disgraceful if I couldn't do it myself by now.

Alphonse – Um, Winry?

Winry – What is it?

Alphonse – Well, I know I won't be much help, and I'll probably just get in your way… But, would you let me come with you?

Winry smiled.

Winry – What do you think?

Alphonse – Um… maybe I'd be too much of a bother after all.

Winry laughed a little and Alphonse looked at her in surprise.

Winry – Man, Al. You're so silly! Of course I want you to come!

Winry took hold of Alphonse's hands and he noticed that they were shaking very fast.

Winry – You can tell, can't you? My hands have been shaking this whole time and they still haven't stopped. Remember when Mustang-san told us how he truly felt when having to fight wraiths and witches every day? I tried to use that to help myself gain more confidence. But in the end, I still get scared by having to go alone. I guess in that way, I kind of know how Mustang-san must have felt… but I'm sure that it was much worse for him than it is for me.

Alphonse – Winry… I guess that makes sense.

Winry – You're definitely not a bother, Al. I'm really happy you asked to come. If you're by my side, then I know I'll feel much braver!

Alphonse – Really?

Winry – Yeah! I promise I'll keep you safe. So don't worry about a thing. Let's go hunt wraiths and witches together, like before.

Alphonse smiled and looked at Winry determinedly.

Alphonse – Yeah!

Kyubey crawled over onto Winry's other shoulder.

Kyubey – You understand how dangerous this is, right?

Winry and Alphonse started walking off.

Winry – I'm not sure how well I'd do by myself since I'm a rookie and all. But if Al's with me, then I'll be able to think harder about my actions and focus better since I need to protect him as well.

Kyubey – I see. Well, as long as you've thought it through, it's fine with me.

Kyubey looked back at Alphonse and used telepathy to speak to him so Winry couldn't hear either of them.

Kyubey – (After all, you've thought up your own plan too, haven't you, Alphonse? I understand your desire to protect Winry.)

Kyubey looked straight into Alphonse's eyes, which showed his notebook containing his magical contractor outfit designs.

Kyubey – (Actually, just by coming with us, you'll give us a trump card that we can play if things really get bad.)

Winry and Alphonse were now heading across the bridge as they walked further in the city.

Alphonse – (Well…)

Kyubey – (You don't have to say anything about it now. Winry is sure to be against it, after all. But if ever the time comes when you decide upon a wish… I will always be ready for you.)

Winry and Alphonse headed down the bridge's stairs once they got to the other side.

Alphonse – (Okay.)

Winry and Alphonse soon found themselves walking in a huge crowd of people as they kept searching. Winry was now holding out her Soul Timer, which was also open so she could check for any reactions.

* * *

The blue Soul Timer started to glow bright once Winry and Alphonse came up to an alleyway and the ticking needle was also spinning to the right, however it was spinning rather slowly this time.

Winry – This is it.

The labyrinth began to form. It had a green background and there were star, dice, handprint, and animal stickers on the walls, which had designs that looked like sheets of paper. There were also blocks, toys, and crayons on the ground everywhere, making the whole barrier look like a kindergarten classroom.

Kyubey – This labyrinth was probably made by a familiar. You can tell if the needle in your Soul Timer ticks slower than usual. I'm also assuming that this familiar came from a witch since the needle's also spinning to the right.

Winry – I hope I can beat it as easily as I beat that wraith yesterday. I'm still new at this, after all.

Kyubey – Getting caught off guard could be fatal.

Winry – I know.

Winry and Alphonse began walking down the stairs in the labyrinth as they searched for the familiar. Suddenly, a bunch of yellow balls started bouncing towards Winry and Alphonse from behind them. The two quickly turned around and ducked once they saw the familiar pass them. The familiar looked like she was a drawling herself; she had green hair put into twin braids, her body was yellow, her face was orange, and she was flying on a tiny plane that was about the same size she was. She was smiling and had her tongue sticking out, and she seemed to be shrieking out like a happy but crazy little girl would.

Winry – Is that it?

The familiar then seemed to be flying away to the edge of the barrier, which still looked like the end of the alleyway back in the real world.

Alphonse – It's getting away!

Winry – Leave it to me!

Winry stood up and transformed into her magical contractor outfit. Then, she landed on the ground and created a bunch of replica swords from her original one. Winry threw her swords at the familiar to try to strike her down as she flew away. A few of the swords barely missed the familiar, scaring her a little, but she continued to fly away with a smile on her face until more swords landed right in front of her, which completely terrified her. But just before the last two swords Winry threw could hit the familiar, a long purple lance quickly blocked the swords, which startled both Winry and Alphonse as the swords landed back towards them. Kyubey however, didn't look very surprised, since he knew exactly who blocked Winry's attacks. The familiar then ran off, and Riza landed on one of Winry's swords, pinned in the ground. The sword disappeared once Riza touched it, then she landed on the ground herself.

Riza was also in her magical contractor outfit, which looked similar to a military officer's uniform much like Roy's did, except for a few differences in the designs and the uniform itself mainly looked more like a female uniform, especially from the tiny miniskirt. Riza's hair was still put up in its bird tail style and her Soul Timer, which was now completely colored light purple was strapped to her waist as well.

Riza – Hold it right there, you two.

Since the familiar left, the labyrinth collapsed and turned back into the alleyway.

Alphonse – It's getting away!

Winry began to run after the familiar, but she stopped as soon as Riza pointed her lance straight at Winry's neck.

Riza – You should have been able to tell just by looking at it. That was a familiar. It wouldn't have left you any Grief Gears.

Winry – But - If we just leave it alone, it might go off and kill someone!

Riza didn't seem to take Winry's words into thought; instead she just closed her calm eyes and continued to speak.

Riza – That was a witch's familiar, right? Then wait for it to eat 4 or 5 people and become a witch itself. Then, you'll be sure to get a set of Grief Gears when you kill it.

Riza turned to her left side and pulled her lance back to set it by her side.

Riza – You should know better than to kill the goose before it lays it's golden eggs.

Winry and Alphonse both looked shocked.

Winry – What?

Alphonse – But, what about the people it'll attack? We can't just sit back and let them get killed!

Riza looked up at Alphonse.

Riza – You're not a magical contractor, right? Then, why should you concern yourself in this matter?

Alphonse looked startled.

Riza – Collecting enough Grief Gears allows us magical contractors to use our magic however we please for the rest of our lives. If you look at it in that perspective, then it should be worth making the contract. But, if you're not one yourself, then how should that matter apply to you in any way?

Winry then looked a little mad.

Winry – Hey, don't talk to Al like that! Besides, he's right! I don't care if I don't get any Grief Gears, I don't want to let wraiths or witches take innocent lives as they please!

Riza didn't change her calm yet cold expression as she turned back to face Winry and Alphonse.

Riza – Is that so? Does that mean the only reason you agreed to the contract was for purposes such as "saving people" and "justice"?

Riza began walking forward towards Winry.

Riza – If it is, then you're making a huge mistake.

Riza started backing Winry up as she walked forward, leaving Alphonse behind. Once Alphonse turned around, a latticework barrier made up of a bunch or Riza's magic circles formed in order to separated Alphonse from the two magical contractors. Alphonse grew worried as he got as close to the fence of magic circles as he could. Riza stopped walking once she and Winry were far enough from Alphonse. Winry looked up at Riza angrily.

Winry – What's that supposed to mean?!

Riza – Think about it like the food chain… Wraiths and witches eat weak humans. Then, magical contractors eat those wraiths and witches. Chasing down familiars only wastes magical energy and prevents us from hunting down the wraiths and witches we need to survive. In this world… the weak have to give way to the strong. It's what's known as survival of the fittest.

Kyubey watched closely as Riza continued to talk.

Riza – Forming the contract for simple-minded reasons will only eventually get you killed.

Winry – What do you mean by simple-minded?!

Winry seemed to have had enough, so she swung her sword at Riza. However, Riza easily blocked Winry's sword using her lance. Sparks flew between the two weapons as Winry kept trying to put more force into her attack, but Riza wasn't moving even a little bit. It also didn't help that Riza was much taller than Winry.

Riza – You have guts. But you're too weak.

Winry gripped her sword with both of her hands and put even more force into her attack, but Riza still didn't even budge. Sweat began to drip down Winry's face as she kept pushing, but Riza didn't look tired at all as she kept staring down at Winry.

Riza – Don't think that keeping this up will eventually put you on a higher advantage than me. You're just wasting all your energy like this.

Riza easily pushed Winry back, then she separated her lance into a bunch of separate parts that were connected by a chain and used them to knock Winry back. Winry's sword flew out of her hands and into the air before she was knocked into the wall, which broke one of the water pipes that ran along it and caused water to harshly spill onto the ground. Winry landed harshly onto the ground and her sword's blade stuck straight into the ground as it landed beside her.

Alphonse – Winry!

Riza – If you can't even defend yourself from attacks like that… you don't have what it takes to have this city.

Riza began to walk away until she heard Winry grunt and stand back up. Riza herself was a little shocked as she looked over her shoulder.

Riza – What? That blow should've put you out of commission for at least 3 months.

Alphonse still looked concerned.

Alphonse – Is she okay?

Kyubey – It's because she made her contract wishing for someone to be healed. She heals twice as fast as a regular human being does now.

Alphonse looked a bit amazed. Winry looked back at Riza, her eyes still holding fierce determination.

Winry – I won't allow myself… to fall that easily.

Winry pulled her sword out of the ground and walked back towards Riza just a little.

Winry – I will never surrender to selfish magical contractors like you!

Riza looked a bit irritated.

Riza – I would watch your tounge if I were you.

Riza turned back around to face Winry and she twirled her lance as she got into a fighting stance. Winry's magic circle then appeared underneath her feet and her wounds began to heal even more.

Riza – You have quite an attitude for a rookie contractor. Do you really think you can win in a fight against me?

Winry – Shut up!

Riza then looked even more annoyed, so she charged at Winry again and kept striking at her. Winry did manage to block her attacks, but she was barely holding on.

Riza – You shouldn't speak to your superiors like that! I'm on an even higher level than you are!

Winry – The only superior I listen to is Mustang-san!

As Riza kept pushing Winry back, Alphonse tried to get closer but Riza's fence prevented him from entering.

Alphonse – Winry…!

Kyubey – Alphonse, it's dangerous for you to get any closer!

Riza then wrapped Winry up with the chains from her lance and threw Winry into the wall again.

Riza – I see. You did know Roy Mustang. Now I get it. So he was the one who put all those useless ideas into your head. I should have known that he would take on a new apprentice to continue his work for him once he was gone.

Winry kept healing herself as her magic circle appeared beneath her again, but then Riza put her lance back together and prepared to strike.

Riza – Now there's no reason for me to hold back!

Riza started to charge at Winry, who quickly picked up her sword and got back up. The tips of the two weapons ended up clashing, which surprised Riza very much.

Winry – I won't lose…

Unlike before, both girls were using equal amounts of strength, however Winry's willpower seemed to rise at her advantage this time.

Winry – I won't lose to you!

Winry then pushed harder and she successfully managed to push back Riza, however Riza then lifted herself into the air using her lance. Winry looked up in shock as Riza then came back down and jammed her lance into the ground where Winry was standing, just barely missing her. Winry was pushed back a little from the force, but she quickly recovered and charged at Riza again. The two girls continued fighting, but Alphonse clearly didn't want this to go on any longer.

Alphonse – Why is this happening? I don't understand. She's not a witch. Why are they fighting each other when they should really be allies?

Kyubey – It can't be helped. Neither of them is willing to back down from the other now.

Winry blocked two more of Riza's strikes, but then Riza managed to kick Winry back.

Alphonse – Please, Kyubey… Stop them! This isn't right!

Kyubey – I don't have the ability to stop them. But…

Kyubey hopped down from Alphonse's shoulder and looked up at him from the ground.

Kyubey – If you're determined to stop them, even if it means using force, there IS a way…

Alphonse looked up in realization. Riza and Winry kept fighting as Kyubey explained.

Kyubey – Only another magical contractor could get between them now. But you have the qualifications to become one, after all. If you truly wish it, that is.

Alphonse – (That's right… I can make the contract…)

Riza then tied Winry's legs together using the chains from her lance and tripped her, causing Winry to fall down and drop her sword again. Riza then prepared for her final blow.

Riza – It's over!

Winry slowly looked up at Riza and Alphonse's eyes widened with shock. Riza then lifted herself into the air again and began to come back down with her lance pointed straight at Winry. Alphonse then looked at Kyubey, ready to make the contract.

Alphonse – I…

Edward – There's no need for that.

Edward's reflection was seen through a few drops of water floating through the air before they landed on the ground. Alphonse stopped as soon as he heard Edward's voice. Just before Riza struck Winry, lying helplessly on the ground, Edward's reflection was seen moving fast through more drops of water until they fell to the ground as well and the water from the pipe was shown again, continuing to pour out. Riza's lance then struck straight into the ground and she gasped in complete shock because Winry had disappeared. Winry then looked up to see that she was moved at a fair distance behind Riza. Edward then landed between the other two magical contractors, in the puddle of water that leaked from the pipe. Both Riza and Winry turned their heads in shock to see Edward as he stood up.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Sorry, but I hope you guys liked it.**

**As you can see from this chapter, instead of guns Riza has a lance like Kyoko's and as you already know, Roy had muskets made from fire. I wanted their weapons to be their own at first, but then I realized that it wouldn't blend in with the story very well. So I added in the fire magic for Roy even though he does use muskets and even though Riza uses a lance for her main weapon, she is still a master at firearms. You already have see how Edward has explosives so he will also use guns as well, but just like in the original anime, Edward still hates using firearms but he needs to use them to complete his mission. Don't worry, his automail blade will be used as well.**

**I tried to make the characters personalities match their original personalities as much as possible, so I hope I'm doing a good job. As you can see, Winry takes her role as a magical contractor more seriously than Sayaka did, Alphonse isn't as nervous as Madoka, and Edward isn't exactly as harsh as Homura was(As in he hash't given up on the others yet) but he is still very cold.) But I'm going to add in more of Ed's original personality later on in the story(Including getting furious when people call him short.)**

**So I hope I'm doing a good job so far. If Riza seems a bit out of character, sorry about that, but if you think about her in Kyoko's shoes, chances are she's going to become more selfish.**

**Thanks for reading and tell me what you guys think! See you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**What's up everybody? Sorry I took so long, but here it is… The next Chapter! Where we start to learn some SECRETS.**

**I hope I'm doing a good job with the story and making all of you happy, but if any of you out there have any suggestions for me, then that would be great. Okay? Okay, good. Enjoy!**

* * *

Alphonse stepped forward a little and stared at Edward in slight surprise.

Alphonse – Edward…?

Winry – Edward!

Riza shook out of her confusion and pointed her lance straight at Edward.

Riza – Who are you?!

Riza suddenly looked shocked since she just realized that Edward had disappeared once she pointed her lance at him and now he was standing behind her. Edward's gaze was hard as he stared at Riza, who then quickly turned around again to face Edward. She was still shocked, but then she seemed to calm down a little.

Riza – Oh, I see. You must be that "irregularity".

Riza then grinned.

Riza – You must have some incredible magic to be able to catch me off guard like that.

Winry then shook out of her confusion as well.

Winry – Why did you stop us? This is our fight!

Winry started to charge at Riza again, but then Edward appeared behind Winry and grabbed her right arm with his armored arm. Winry looked shocked again as Edward kept an iron grip on her to keep her from attacking. As she looked into his eyes, Winry gasped a little since there was something in Edward's eyes that felt a little familiar, which also made her feel surprisingly warm inside and caused a bit of blush to form on her cheeks. Edward let go of Winry once she calmed down and he walked towards Riza again. Then, the latticework fence separating Alphonse from the others disappeared and he didn't waste any time running over to Winry.

Alphonse – Winry! Are you okay?

Winry – Y-yeah. That was weird…

Riza turned her attention back to Edward.

Riza – You're a strange one. So, whose side are you on?

Edward – I am on the side of those conflicted in a struggle, and an enemy to those who start needless conflict. Which are you…

Edward's eyes narrowed.

Edward – Riza Hawkeye?

Riza looked incredibly surprised that Edward knew her name, so she narrowed her eyes as well and turned completely around to face him.

Riza – Have we met somewhere before?

Edward – Perhaps. Who knows?

Riza and Edward stared at each other for a while but Riza eventually gave up since she saw the pure stubbornness in Edward's eyes that not even she could crack.

Riza – Well, I certainly don't know anything about you… I'll be taking my leave now.

Edward – That's wise of you.

Riza jumped into the air and used her lance to help herself jump off the walls before she was finally out of sight. Winry and Alphonse then turned their attention back to Edward.

Winry – Um, hey… Thanks for saving us.

Edward looked back at Winry.

Edward – Why did you fight her so carelessly? That woman is a veteran just like Roy Mustang. If it had been one second later, she would have killed you. Do you truly understand that?

Winry looked up surprisingly.

Winry – But… I couldn't just let her have her way like that…!

Edward then looked over at Alphonse.

Edward – And you… How many times must I warn you? How foolish can you possibly be?

Alphonse looked a little taken back but then he remembered how if Edward hadn't shown up he probably would have made the contract. Winry also looked a bit startled.

Edward – Have you forgotten what we talked about?

Alphonse – Of course not!

Edward – Then, you shouldn't become involved in this. I've told you that many times already.

Alphonse – But…

Winry – Wait! It's not Al's fault! I wanted him to come with me, so I need to take full responsibility for bringing him into this!

Alphonse – Winry… No, you don't have to…

Edward – You two should only focus on keeping yourselves alive. If the time comes, then the only one who will have to take responsibility will be me. Because if reasoning with fools won't work, I won't hesitate to turn to more drastic measures.

Alphonse and Winry were taken back by Edward's words, and then he began to walk away.

Alphonse – Edward… Does he really mean…?

Winry – I'm not sure…

Kyubey climbed back onto Alphonse's shoulder.

Kyubey – In any case, it's certain that he's planning something. We'll have to be more careful than ever.

Alphonse and Winry nodded hesitantly. Kyubey then looked straight at Edward as he left.

Kyubey – (Edward Chrono… Could it be that you're?)

* * *

Later on that night back at Winry's house, Winry was in her room using Kirsten's Grief Gears to purify and rewind her Soul Timer again.

Kyubey – There, you should be all right for a while.

Winry then looked at her now completely used up Grief Gears.

Winry – Wow, they're pitch black!

Kyubey – And they're dangerous now. If they absorb any more impurity, a wraith could hatch from them.

Winry – What?!

Kyubey – Don't worry. Give them to me.

Winry nervously handed over the Grief Gears and watched as Kyubey rolled them on his head for a while before the oval on his back opened up, swallowed the Grief Gears, and then glowed for a moment once his back closed up again.

Kyubey – Now it's safe again.

Winry looked pretty surprised.

Winry – You ate them?

Kyubey – That's another one of my duties. But before it comes time to purify your Soul Timer again, we'd better hurry and find more Grief Gears.

Winry looked back at her Soul Timer.

Winry – Is it really that important to keep my Soul Timer clean?

Kyubey – Riza Hawkeye was powerful, wasn't she?

Winry – I guess so.

Kyubey – If you have extra Grief Gears to clean and wind up your Soul Timer with, you could let loose and waste as much magic as you want in any fight. That's what makes Riza so strong.

Winry – But I can't let people get hurt just so I can find more Grief Gears! I don't want to become like her!

Kyubey – The more you use your magic, the more polluted your Soul Timer will become. Winry, you'll never stand a chance of defeating Riza… unless you can gather more Grief Gears.

Winry – Really?

Winry sighed, but then she thought of something else.

Winry – But Mustang-san never had that many Grief Gears to clean and wind up his Soul Timer with either. But he was still able to fight just fine. Was it because he was just more talented than me?

Kyubey – Well, there's certainly that.

Winry then turned white since Kyubey's words actually affected her much more than she thought they would.

Winry – Di-did you really have to say it so bluntly like that?

Kyubey – That's one thing that really can't be helped. Riza has great inborn talent, plus plenty of experience.

Winry lowered her head as she started to feel more depressed.

Kyubey – That said, there's someone with absolutely no experience… whose natural talent would far exceed Riza's…

Winry then picked her head back up and looked at Kyubey curiously.

Winry – Really? Who is it?

Kyubey – Alphonse Elric.

Winry looked shocked.

Winry – What? Al?

Kyubey – Yes. Meaning, if you ultimately can't get strong enough to defeat Riza, you also have the option of asking Alphonse to do it. That is, if he makes a contract with me!

Winry quickly shook her head.

Winry – No way!

Winry looked back at her Soul Timer, which was still open, showing it's light blue color on the inside. The big needle was also wound up all the way up to the number two.

Winry – This is my fight, not his. I don't want him to get dragged into it. I'll find another way to get more Grief Gears.

* * *

The next day, Riza was shown eating lunch at a diner, sitting at an outdoor table. Edward then came walking up behind her. Riza didn't turn around, but she slowly took a sip of her coffee as if she felt Edward's presence.

Riza – I know it's you. So what do you want now?

Edward – There's something I want you to help me out with.

Riza still didn't turn around as she continued to drink her coffee.

Riza – Why the sudden change of heart? Surely you already know that I plan to take this city for myself. Wouldn't you rather support your other comrades?

Edward – Don't get the wrong idea. Experienced magical contractors like you are definitely more suited to hunt wraiths and witches in this kind of territory. Winry Rockbell can't handle it in her current state. However, she does have the potential to become much more powerful in time. That's why I'd prefer it if you stopped messing with her.

Riza – You certainly are serious. But what about that girl, Winry Rockbell? Even if I leave her alone, there's the chance she'll come after me herself.

Edward – I know that. But I still want that to be settled peacefully. So you keep out of it. I'll handle her.

Riza seemed intrigued. Then she finally turned her head around to face Edward.

Riza – So what is it you want my help with?

Edward remained silent for a moment and Riza turned back around to her lunch.

Riza – I've been wondering for a while what's in all of this for you.

Edward – In exactly two weeks, Walpurgisnacht will arrive in this city.

Riza then looked a little surprised.

Riza – How do you know that?

Edward – Sorry, but that's a secret. The point is, if you help me defeat it, I won't mind if you decide to stay in this city. But in exchange, leave Winry Rockbell alone.

Riza smiled a little.

Riza – I see. I've only heard about Walpurgisnacht in rumors. It certainly does sound tough to beat alone. But if we teamed up, there is a possible chance that we could win.

Riza stood up and turned around to completely face Edward.

Riza – It sounds like a fair exchange to me.

* * *

Later on in the evening, Winry and Kyubey were back at the alley trying to find traces of the familiar that escaped. Alphonse came along as well. The place was still in ruins from Winry and Riza's fight.

Kyubey – It's no use. Too much time has passed. It looks like we've got no way to trace the familiar from last night.

Winry lowered her head in both disappointment and frustration.

Winry – You've got to be kidding me! Now we have to start from scratch!

Alphonse – Um, Winry?

Winry looked up.

Winry – What is it, Al?

Alphonse – Are you sure we should keep tracking that familiar? I know it's bad that it got away, but what if we run into that woman from yesterday?

Winry – I guess we might eventually. After all, she's a magical contractor too… We'll probably see her again anyway even if we find a wraith or a witch.

Alphonse – In that case, shouldn't we try to avoid fighting with her as much as possible? After all, she's a veteran too, so she's much stronger than you are. What if we just tried talking with her instead?

Winry's eyes narrowed and she frowned.

Winry – That won't work.

Alphonse – Why not?! Even you're saying that now, Winry! Why won't it work?!

Winry was silent for a moment.

Winry – Think hard about it, Al. Did yesterday's battle look like a regular fight to you?

Alphonse didn't say anything.

Winry – No, that was an all out duel to the death. Only the first few blows were small. After that, both of us were sincerely trying to kill each other with every blow we struck.

Alphonse – That's even worse, then!

Winry – That's why talking won't work! Don't you get it, Al?! Her goal from the beginning was to take me out because she wanted this city for herself! Besides, she lets people become food for wraiths and witches just so she can collect more Grief Gears! How am I supposed to compromise with someone like that?! Even if I did try to talk to her, she most likely wouldn't listen to anything I had to say!

Alphonse stepped forward towards Winry.

Alphonse – Even so, Winry, you became a magical contractor in order to fight wraiths and witches, right? But, that woman isn't a witch. Just like you said before, she's a magical contractor just like you! Even if your methods are different, in the end, both of you just want to hunt wraiths and witches, don't you? She's not your enemy, wraiths and witches are, that's why…

Winry – You just don't get it do you?!

Alphonse recoiled a little once Winry shouted. Her eyes were now filled with fury.

Winry – I didn't understand either even when Mustang-san told us how magical contractors compete with each other. But, after fighting that woman yesterday, it all became clear. It's not just her… there are lots of other magical contractors like that out there. Magical contractors who don't think about anything but their own benefit!

Alphonse's eyes widened with shock.

Alphonse – But…! Edward isn't like that! Maybe he and Mustang-san fought a lot… But, I'm sure Edward wouldn't let people die just so he can get more Grief Gears! You know that too, Winry!

Winry was silent for a moment and her bangs were covering her eyes.

Winry – Yes. You're right. We may have been wrong about Edward… And Mustang-san definitely wasn't like that either. But, magical contractors like them are rare. I know that now.

Winry then turned towards Alphonse; her eyes were still filled with anger.

Winry – That familiar from last night might have been small, but it could still kill someone! What if its next target is May again, or Izumi Sensei?! It might even be your mom, Al! Are you really okay with that happening?!

Alphonse felt horrified from those thoughts.

Alphonse – No! Of course not! How could I ever be?!

Winry – Then can you really forgive those who stand by and let them be killed?

Alphonse looked up in shock but he didn't say anything.

Winry – Al, I didn't wish for this power just so I could fight wraiths and witches. I wanted to use it to protect the people I love.

Winry looked at Alphonse with fierce determination.

Winry – That's why… if there are people out there who are even more evil than wraiths and witches, I'll fight them too. Even if they happen to be magical contractors!

Alphonse looked horrified as he stared at Winry.

Alphonse – But… that's…!

Alphonse couldn't finish his sentence. Winry then turned around.

Winry – I'm sorry, Al.

Winry then walked away, leaving Alphonse with Kyubey.

Alphonse – Kyubey, why didn't you say anything?

Kyubey – The only thing I could say to that is that she's being too reckless. As she is now, Winry has no hope of defeating Riza Hawkeye. But… I'm sure Winry won't listen to me…

Winry was shown walking down the alleyway as Kyubey spoke.

* * *

Once night fell, Alphonse was walking through town, looking at the ground as his mind wavered on the argument he and Winry had. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that someone was walking out of a store in front of him until he bumped into that person.

Alphonse – Oh, I'm so sorry!

Alphonse then looked up in shock. The person he bumped into was Izumi.

Izumi – Huh, Al?

Alphonse – Sensei! I'm really sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and-

Izumi – Come on now. Don't give me that.

Alphonse – R-right.

Izumi looked down at Alphonse and noticed how he seemed to be worried about something.

Izumi – If you're dim-witted enough to bump into me like that…

Alphonse shuddered a little in fright at Izumi's harsh tone.

Izumi – Then something must definitely be on your mind.

Alphonse looked up surprisingly, then Izumi smiled at him.

Izumi – Come on… let's talk.

Alphonse nodded. The two went to the park and sat down at a bench. Izumi reached into one of the plastic bags she had with her and pulled out a can of juice.

Izumi – Here.

Alphonse – Thank you, Sensei.

Alphonse took the can Izumi passed to him and he took a sip.

Izumi – So, what's wrong?

Alphonse – You see… One of my friends… is in a lot of trouble.

Izumi looked at Alphonse as he spoke.

Alphonse – It's not like she's doing or saying anything wrong, but… Even though she keeps trying so hard to do the right thing, the more she tries, the worse things get for her…

Izumi – That happens quite a bit.

Alphonse looked up at Izumi surprisingly.

Izumi – It's sad to say, but just because you keep trying to do what's right… doesn't mean you're guaranteed a happy ending. In fact, sometimes people are so sure that their way is right that they become obstinate. The more they get like that, the further from happiness they go.

Alphonse – But, that sounds awful… if you end up unhappy just because you're not doing anything wrong.

Izumi – Indeed, it is.

Alphonse – So, what do you think I should do?

Izumi – For something like this… I'm afraid nobody can really bring about a neat and tidy end to it.

Alphonse – I see.

Izumi noticed that Alphonse looked sad again.

Izumi – But if you really want to help resolve it, there is a messy way you can do it.

Alphonse – Really?

Izumi – Yes. Although, I would highly disapprove of it.

Izumi raised her voice a little at that last sentence and Alphonse looked a little nervous.

Alphonse – What is it?

Izumi opened her eyes and kept looking in front of herself.

Izumi – Make a mistake for your friend.

Alphonse looked curious.

Izumi – If your friend is trying so hard to do everything right… then someone else should make her mistakes for her.

Alphonse – What kind of mistakes?

Izumi – Sometimes you tell an awful lie, or run away from something scary… and then, when you look back later… you realize that that was precisely the right thing to do. If you see there's no way for your friend's problem to end in but disaster… then it would probably be better for her to crash and burn sooner rather than later.

Alphonse – But do you think she'll understand that I'm doing it for her own good?

Izumi – Sometimes they do, but sometimes they don't - especially at first. I warned you it would be messy. That's why I would be against it.

Izumi turned her head back towards Alphonse.

Izumi – But what seems better to you? To give up on your friend, or to be misunderstood by her?

Alphonse looked down and stayed silent. Izumi then smiled.

Izumi – You're a good boy, Al. Trisha raised you just right. You don't tell lies or do bad things. You always try your best to do the right thing. You've already passed most of your childhood with flying colors.

Izumi took a sip from her own drink in her hands.

Izumi – Which is why it may be good for you… to learn how to mess up, too before you become an adult.

Alphonse – Learn how to mess up?

Izumi – Wounds heal faster when you're young. If you learn how to fall now, it'll be sure to help you later in life. You see, when you grow up, the consequences for messing up get bigger and bigger. The more responsibilities you start shouldering, the more important it gets not to make a wrong move.

Alphonse took another sip from his drink.

Alphonse – But isn't that… really painful?

Izumi closed her eyes and made a face.

Izumi – Are you serious? Us adults are always in pain. That's why most of them are stupid enough to try to drown their sorrows away in alcohol!

Alphonse giggled a little.

Alphonse – Then what do you do, Sensei?

Izumi grinned deeply and her expression turned evil. Her eyes were even glowing red.

Izumi – Of course I'll beat up a bunch of dummies to a pulp like there's no tomorrow!

Alphonse turned white and shivered in severe fright. Then he slightly smiled, though his face remained a little purple.

Alphonse – W-well, I don't particularly think I'd ever wish to drink alcohol either…

Alphonse's face then went back to normal and he continued to smile.

Alphonse – But, I really enjoy talking out my problems with you, Sensei.

Izumi then smiled warmly back at Alphonse.

Izumi – Then, hurry and grow up. For adults, it's only as fun as it hurts!

Alphonse – Sensei, thank you.

* * *

The next day in the afternoon, Winry was rushing through the hospital halls with a big smile on her face. Once she came to Maes's room, she quickly and happily opened the door, but then she looked surprised to see that he wasn't in his bed. As she looked around, a nurse, who was passing by noticed her.

Nurse – Oh! Are you Winry Rockbell-san?

Winry turned around to face the nurse.

Winry – Yes.

Nurse – If you're looking for Hughes-san, he was discharged yesterday.

Winry looked shocked. The nurse then pulled something out of her pocket.

Nurse – Before he left, he gave me this letter and asked me to deliver it to you.

The nurse gave Winry the letter and Winry smiled at her.

Winry – I see. Thank you.

The nurse walked away and Winry opened up the letter to read it. It said - "Dear Winry, Are you surprised? I'm sorry I tricked you about my discharge date. But, I wanted to surprise you. I should be at your house by now. Gracia of course knew about this too, so if you want to lecture both of us when you get home, then you may do so. But don't make it too long since we're throwing a party remember? Love, Maes."

Back at Winry's house, Maes and Gracia were sitting in the living room together. They smiled guiltily once they heard the door open and close along with the sounds of running footsteps in the hallway. Winry then ran straight into the living room looking a little annoyed.

Winry – All right! You both have got some nerve making me go through all that trouble just to surprise me!

Gracia – Now, now, calm down, Winry.

Winry – And you were in on it too Mom?! I can't believe you!

Maes – Come on now, we should be celebrating, look.

Winry gasped in shock once she saw Maes stand up on both of his legs, looking healthier than ever.

Maes – Your old man's up and ready to go, see?

Winry then smiled.

Winry – Okay, fine. You both owe me big time though.

Maes – What?! A fee?! Come on now, Winry!

Winry – Since you made both of us worry, Hughes-san… you'll be paying for both Mom and yourself.

Maes – Come on! I just got out of the hospital! Cut me some slack!

Winry – No way!

Gracia started laughing, then the three of them began to eat dinner and celebrate together. After a while, Winry came back to the living room from the bathroom to see Gracia and Hughes sitting on the couch happily together. Winry smiled happily at the tender scene and decided to leave them alone for a bit, so she went outside to go for a walk. It was starting to get dark out. As Winry walked through her neighborhood, she suddenly stopped and looked up in shock to see Riza standing a few feet in front of her.

Riza – The sun has almost set by now. I thought you would have left your house much earlier.

Winry glared at Riza a little.

Winry – I already went patrolling today. I'm just out for a stroll tonight.

Riza – In order give him some space? Even after you've already waited for a long time while he was in the hospital.

Winry looked completely shocked.

Winry – How did you-

Riza – I know about that man, Maes Hughes. He's the person you made the contract with Kyubey for.

Riza then frowned and closed her eyes.

Riza – You went as far as to waste your only chance of a miracle on him… I should have expected a child would think of doing something that foolish.

Winry then looked angry.

Winry – What would you know?!

Riza – A lot more than you, actually. Magic is only supposed to be used to grant wishes for yourself. If you use it for someone else, it'll end up badly for you. Roy Mustang at least taught you that much, didn't he?

Winry began to get even angrier.

Winry – What was I supposed to do? Just sit back and let Hughes-san die?! Just like you would?!

Riza – As I told you before… It's all about survival of the fittest. We have to do what we need to do in order to survive. But, since you went through all that trouble just to save his life alone… you might as well get something out of it in return. It's a good chance to actually put all that magic you got to good use.

Winry – What do you mean?

Riza grinned.

Riza – Using a miracle to save a life should be equivalent to about a lifetime of service in your favor, shouldn't it?

Winry looked completely shocked.

Riza – If he's that indebted to you, then use this advantage to make him do anything you want. Even if he complains, you can use your powers to discipline him and put him in his place. After all, a dog shouldn't disobey its master. That way, he will forever be yours to control.

Winry stared at Riza in complete horror, then she started to scowl angrily as her fury grew.

Riza – Of course, that's only one suggestion. There are many other ways to use him however you want. And there's no reason why he should say anything against you. You're the one who's responsible for keeping him alive in this world, after all.

Winry had finally had it.

Winry – There's no way… I'd ever do that. You are the one person I'll never forgive! This time, it ends!

Riza's smile faded.

Riza – I see. If that's what you want, then fine. But, we should do this elsewhere.

Riza began to turn around, but she kept her eyes locked on Winry.

Riza – We're bound to attract attention if we fight here.

* * *

Later on once night fell, Alphonse was in his room at his computer, still thinking about what Izumi told him earlier.

_Izumi__ – __If your friend is trying so hard to do everything right… then someone else should make her mistakes for her._

Alphonse – But how can I…?

Kyubey – (Alphonse… Alphonse!)

Alphonse looked over to his left side to see Kyubey sitting outside his windowsill.

Kyubey – (Hurry! Winry's in trouble! Come with me!)

Riza and Winry were facing each other on one of the many blue bridges that traveled over a large highway, as they prepared to do battle once again.

Riza – Nobody should be able to see us up here. This way we won't have to hold back.

Riza held out her Soul Timer, which opened and started glowing. After she transformed, Winry held out her own Soul Timer, which was already open and began to glow as well.

Alphonse – Winry, stop!

Winry's Soul Timer stopped glowing once she heard Alphonse, who came running up to her.

Winry – Al? Don't get in my way! You don't even belong here!

Alphonse narrowed his eyes angrily.

Alphonse – No! I can't let you do this!

Riza pointed her lance at Winry and Alphonse.

Riza – It's not too surprising a stubborn girl like you would have a stubborn friend as well.

Edward suddenly appeared behind Riza without her noticing.

Edward – Then I wonder what kind of friends you would have.

Riza looked shocked, then she turned around to see Edward.

Riza – You…

Edward's gaze hardened as he looked at Riza.

Edward – This isn't what we agreed on. I told you to leave Winry Rockbell alone.

Riza – Forgive me for acting on my own, but I still had unfinished business with her. Besides, she's most likely not going to back down now.

Edward then appeared in front of Riza, surprising her again.

Edward – Like I said before… let me handle her. Stay out of it.

Riza turned back around to Edward, who kept his gaze on Winry.

Riza – You really are a mysterious little kid.

Edward's eyes then narrowed and he turned his head just a tiny bit to give Riza a dangerous look.

Edward – Don't call me little.

Riza stepped back in slight fear once she saw Edward's eyes. She didn't want to admit it, but he actually scared her a little. Winry then noticed that the two weren't paying attention to her anymore.

Winry – This is my chance!

Winry held out her Soul Timer again, about to transform, letting Alphonse know that he had to do something or else Winry would start fighting.

Alphonse – Winry! I'm sorry!

Alphonse ran forward and grabbed Winry's Soul Timer, startling her a little. Alphonse ran to the edge of the bridge and threw Winry's now closed Soul Timer down into a truck that was driving by. Once the truck drove away, carrying Winry's Soul Timer with it, Edward gasped and his eyes widened with complete shock. Then, before anyone could blink, a magic circle seemed to hover over the hand of Edward's armored arm and he quickly disappeared. Winry then gasped with shock herself and she ran towards Alphonse.

Winry – Al! How could you…?!

Alphonse – Because if I didn't-

Before Alphonse could finish his sentence, Winry quickly slumped and fell into his arms.

Alphonse – Winry?

Winry's eyes were open, but they looked completely hollow and lifeless. Kyubey then jumped up onto the railing of the bridge and looked at Alphonse.

Kyubey – That wasn't good, Alphonse…

Alphonse looked up at Kyubey confusedly.

Kyubey – No matter how mad you are, you shouldn't throw your own friend away like that.

Alphonse's eyes widened with shock and confusion as Riza started running over to him and Winry.

Alphonse – What? What did you say?

Once Riza came over, she put her hand to Winry's neck to check for a pulse. Alphonse looked back at Riza but he didn't try to stop her. Riza's eyes then widened in complete horror and she instantly pulled her hand away.

Riza – What is this?! She's dead!

Alphonse gasped in complete horror as well.

* * *

Meanwhile, Edward was shown disappearing and reappearing as he ran after the truck carrying Winry's Soul Timer. As Edward ran to catch up to the truck, he had a look of great worry spread across his face.

Winry's body was then shown laid on the ground, with Alphonse trying to shake her awake, not wanting to believe what Riza said was true.

Alphonse – Winry! Winry, please! Wake up! Hey! Come on… What's wrong?! Hang in there! Winry!

Riza watched Alphonse try to stir Winry, still in shock herself.

Riza – What just happened?

Riza then looked over at Kyubey and glared at him.

Riza – Kyubey! What's going on here?!

Kyubey – It's because the furthest you magical contractors can control your bodies… would be within about a 100 meter radius.

Riza – 100 meters? What are you talking about? What do you mean?!

Kyubey – You rarely have this sort of accident… because you usually carry it with you all the time…

Alphonse – What are you saying, Kyubey?! Please, help her! Don't let Winry die…!

Kyubey sighed.

Kyubey – Alphonse, that isn't Winry. It's just an empty shell.

Alphonse looked at Kyubey with confusion.

Alphonse – What?

Kyubey – Winry is what you just threw away a moment ago.

Riza gasped and put her hand on her purple Soul Timer, hanging by her waist.

Riza – What… did you say?

As Kyubey explained, Edward was shown again, climbing onto the truck and slowly walking over to Winry's Soul Timer. Once he picked it up, he looked at the Soul Timer with soft and caring eyes, almost as if it was something precious to him.

Kyubey – Did you really think you could fight wraiths and witches… with the same fragile bodies that humans possess? It's unthinkable. Why do you think humans in the military die so easily when they put themselves at the front line in battle? For magical contractors, those so-called "bodies" that you possess are really just exterior hardware. Your real bodies are your souls, and in order to make them able to use magic more efficiently, we put them in these compact, easy-to-protect forms instead.

Kyubey was shown again as he kept explaining.

Kyubey – To complete the contract to become a magical contractor… what I do is rip your souls out of your bodies and turn them into Soul Timers.

Alphonse was then shown, looking absolutely horrified. Tears were forming in his eyes and his entire body was shaking as he listened to Kyubey. Riza looked furious as she stared at Kyubey.

Riza – How could you…?! You monster…!

Riza walked towards Kyubey, picked him up by his ear, and held him high into the air.

Riza – What have you done?! You mean you've turned us into zombies or something?!

Kyubey – But isn't it handy this way? Even if your body's heart gets crushed, or you bleed out your very last drop of blood… you can just heal your bodies with magic and get right back up! So long as your Soul Timer remains unharmed… you're basically invincible!

Alphonse continued to stare at Kyubey with shock and horror as more tears started to stream down his face. Riza also continued to stare at Kyubey with both anger and horror.

Kyubey – Isn't that a lot better for battle than those breakable human bodies?

Alphonse then looked at Kyubey angrily.

Alphonse – No, it's not! That's just terrible and cruel!

Alphonse hugged Winry close as he kept staring at Kyubey angrily, tears still heavily flowing from his eyes.

Kyubey – You humans always react this way. Whenever I try to tell you the simple facts, you inevitably have this same reaction… I just don't get it. Why are humans so touchy about the placement of their souls?

Kyubey's last sentence made Riza even angrier and she glared at Kyubey with even more hatred than before. Edward was then shown putting Winry's Soul Timer into her hand. Alphonse and Riza looked over surprisingly to see Edward as he crouched on the ground, kept his eyes focused on Winry, and breathed a sigh of relief. His expression still looked full of concern, which definitely surprised Alphonse. Winry's eyes filled up with life again and she finally stirred, which got Riza and Alphonse to turn their attention back to her. Winry sat up and looked around confusedly, noticing all the concerned expressions on the other's faces, which made her feel even more confused.

Winry – What? What is it?

* * *

**Well, there it is! Secret of The Soul Timers Number 1… REVEALED.**

**Also, I'm sorry if Riza calling Kyubey a monster seemed weak, I just really hate cure words and cursing in general. So, I'm trying to use as little dirty language in this story as possible. Don't worry though, I'll still have Ed go on his ****sensitive height rants when he's angered, and hopefully I'll be able to make them as funny and convincing without any curse words.**

**Thanks for reading! And look forward to the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**What time is it? IT'S PUELLA/FULLMETAL TIME!**

**Sorry it took so long to update, but I'm here now. I hope you guys have enjoyed the previous chapters and I hope you are prepared, because here is where things start to get… tense.**

**Now that we know Soul Timers are really souls, how will are heroes deal with this newfound knowledge? Will they learn to accept it and find the strength to keep moving forward? But if they don't... then what?**

* * *

The next morning at school, the bell rang and homeroom had started.

Random Student – Stand. Bow.

All the students in Izumi's classroom stood up, bowed to her, and then sat back down. Alphonse then looked over to Winry's desk, which was empty. Later on, Alphonse and Edward went up to the roof together to talk.

Alphonse – Edward… You already knew?

Edward – Yeah.

Alphonse – Then why didn't you tell us?

Edward – If I had told you earlier, would you have really believed me?

Alphonse was silent for a moment, then he looked over at Edward.

Alphonse – Why would Kyubey do something so cruel to us?

Edward narrowed his eyes.

Edward – He doesn't think what he does is cruel. He's a life form that cannot comprehend human values.

Alphonse looked surprised.

Edward – He would probably just say that it's equivalent exchange for the miracles he grants.

Alphonse then turned towards Edward.

Alphonse – That's stupid! There's no way you can call that equivalent exchange! To have that done to her body… when all Winry wanted was to heal someone she loved!

Edward looked down slightly.

Edward – That doesn't change the fact that it was a miracle.

Alphonse then looked at Edward curiously again.

Edward – After all, it made something impossible possible. Even if Winry Rockbell and her mother spent every minute of their lives caring for Maes Hughes, he most likely still wouldn't have lived through that surgery.

Edward then turned to face Alphonse.

Edward – The truth is, the value of a miracle is far greater than that of an entire human life. And that is exactly what that creature sells.

Alphonse's eyes then widened once he realized what Edward was saying.

Alphonse – You mean Winry will never be able to go back to her old life?

Edward – Yeah.

Alphonse – But unless she uses her magic, she won't need any Grief Gears, right? Then what if she just stopped fighting wraiths and witches?

Edward – If only it were that simple. Don't forget that our Soul Timers are both our souls and our sources of magic. Even just maintaining our bodies, we use very little ounces of magic. So we will need Grief Gears, eventually. And the only way to get them is to defeat wraiths and witches.

Alphonse – No way.

Edward – I told you before, it's easier just to give up on Winry Rockbell.

Alphonse – Even so… I still can't do that! Because, Winry… she saved my life!

Alphonse remembered when Winry saved him from getting killed by Kirsten.

Alphonse – If she hadn't become a magical contractor then, both May and I would have died!

Edward – Don't confuse gratitude with responsibility.

Alphonse looked down slightly.

Edward – You don't have any ability to save Winry Rockbell. I told you before I would do whatever I could to help her. Don't try to repay her just to alleviate your own sense of guilt. Making such presumptions only winds up as acts of stupidity.

Alphonse then looked up at Edward again.

Alphonse – Edward, why must you always be so harsh? Is it because you believe you're also no longer human?

Edward was silent for a moment before he answered.

Edward – If I didn't accept myself as human… it would mean I'm doing the same to all magical contractors and people themselves, too.

Alphonse looked a bit surprised. Edward then held out his Soul Timer and looked at it.

Edward – When you think about it, even a regular human body is considered a vessel for the soul. The only difference for magical contractors is that our souls have been taken out of our bodies. What really makes us human is our hearts. And that's something that humans and magical contractors both have.

Alphonse continued to stare surprisingly at Edward.

Edward – But, most magical contractors fail to see that. And the same goes for Winry Rockbell.

Edward put away his Soul Timer and lowered his head, and Alphonse looked at him sadly again.

* * *

Back at Winry's house, she was still lying in bed with the blankets completely draped over her. Just then, there was a knock on her door.

Gracia – Winry? Are you feeling better? Please, let me in.

Gracia was shown standing outside Winry's room, looking at her door worriedly.

Winry – I'm sorry. I just want to be alone. Go away.

Gracia sighed and left. Winry was then shown underneath her covers, still wearing her pajamas, with her hair down, and staring blankly at her Soul Timer, which was open and glowing. The big needle had now ticked down to the number three. Winry thought back to the other night, after Alphonse told her that Soul Timers were really their souls. She then remembered the talk she and Kyubey had when she came home.

_Winry__ – __You tricked us, didn't you?_

_Kyubey__ – __I told you precisely what I wanted from the start: For you to become magical contractors._

_Winry was shown standing in front of the desk in her room while Kyubey sat on a chair beside it._

_Kyubey__ – __I just didn't explain exactly what form you'd be taking to do that._

_Winry angrily grabbed the chair from her desk and threw it to the ground. Then she walked over to Kyubey, slammed her hands on the chair he was sitting on, and looked at him angrily._

_Winry__ – __Why didn't you ever tell us?!_

_Kyubey__ – __Because you never asked. Even though you didn't know, there wouldn't have been any inconvenience. In fact, even Roy never noticed to the very end._

_Winry gripped the chair harder as her anger rose._

_Kyubey__ – __After all, you humans don't physically sense your souls to being with. Actually, all they really are is a little cluster of neurons. Just a nerve center with functions similar to a circulatory organ._

_Kyubey looked straight at Winry's chest, where her soul used to be located._

_Kyubey__ – __For all that, if they stop functioning, even your conscious minds seem to crumble along with them. So to help prevent that, I put your souls in a form that's easier to keep track of and protect._

_Kyubey climbed off the chair and ran over to Winry's desk._

_Kyubey__ – __That makes it as safe as possible for you to battle wraiths and witches. Right?_

_Winry stood up and continued to look at Kyubey angrily._

_Winry__ – __Well, no one asked for your "help" with something so ridiculous!_

_Kyubey shook his head._

_Kyubey__ – __You still don't fully understand what it is to do battle, do you?_

_Winry looked surprised._

_Kyubey__ – __For instance, say that you've been impaled with a spear. How much pain do you think you could take before you simply went into shock?_

_Kyubey jumped up onto Winry's desk and sat near her Soul Timer, which was open. Winry looked at Kyubey curiously as he put his paw on the inside of her Soul Timer, causing it to glow bright blue. Winry then gripped her stomach and doubled over in pain. She quickly fell to her knees and then fell to the floor as the excruciating pain spread throughout her body._

_Kyubey__ – __This is what real "pain" feels like. See? You could be totally incapacitated with just one hit._

_As Winry continued to roll on the floor, letting out cries pain. She remembered when she got hit by Riza's lance the first time they battled. The pain she felt then was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling now._

_Kyubey__ – __You only managed to finish the fight with Riza… because you were spared the full extent of your body's pain. It was only possible because your mind and body weren't directly connected. And as a result, you were able to live through that fight._

_Tears began leaking from Winry's eyes, even though they were shut tight, as she continued to let out strangled cries. Kyubey finally took his paw off her Soul Timer, which then stopped glowing. Winry opened her eyes and slowly sat up once the pain faded away._

_Kyubey__ – __Once you get better at it, you can even detach yourself enough to block out all sense of pain. That said… It causes your body to respond slower when you command it to move, so I don't recommend it._

_Winry looked up at Kyubey, her eyes still full of tears and her body still shaken and unstable from feeling such immense pain._

_Winry__ – __Why…? Why would you do such a thing to us…?!_

_Kyubey__ – __Before you took on this destiny of battling wraiths and witches, wasn't there a wish you wanted granted? That wish has really come true, hasn't it?_

_Winry's eyes held sadness and disbelief in them as she continued to stare at Kyubey, but she didn't say anything._

Back in the present, Winry continued to mope in in her bed.

Winry – Now that I've got a body like this… how can I even face Mom and Hughes-san again?

Riza – (Its one thing to skip school. But are you really going to do it by lying in bed moping all day?)

Winry sat straight up in surprise once she heard Riza's voice through telepathy. Winry looked over to her window, got out of bed, and pulled both the curtains open to see Riza standing outside of her house, looking up at her.

Riza – (Could you come outside? I just want to talk.)

Winry looked at Riza suspiciously, but in the end she got changed, put her hair back up in its usual ponytail, put on each of her six earrings, and went outside.

* * *

The sun began to set as Winry followed Riza to wherever she was taking her.

Riza – Well? Are you starting to regret it? Now that you know about what happened to your body?

Winry didn't answer; she just stared ahead with a blank expression.

Riza – I'm not sure what to think of it. I guess I am still upset with many of the details, but then again, it was only after I obtained this power that I was able to live the way I wanted to. From that perspective, it might not be so bad that I'd regret it.

Winry – So you're trying to see it as "you get what you pay for?"

Riza chuckled.

Riza – Perhaps so. That's pretty much how I've lived all this time. If you live only for your own benefit, then you need to pay the prices for your own mistakes as well. So you won't have to blame anyone, and you won't regret anything.

Riza stopped walking and turned around to smile at Winry.

Riza – If you think about it that way, you can pull through just about any kind of situation without the need to feel depressed.

Winry looked up at Riza, but her expression remained the same.

Eventually, Riza and Winry stopped in front of what looked like the ruins of a burned down facility, located far outside of East City. Riza brought Winry inside the ruins and the two of them walked around until they came to the center of the burned building.

Winry – Why did you bring me all the way out here?

Riza – It's a long story. We might be here for quite a while.

Winry looked around curiously.

Winry – What exactly is this place?

Riza – This… was my father's research facility.

Winry looked back at Riza curiously.

Riza – He was a military scientist who devoted his life to come up with a new technology that would be an asset to mankind. He would most often take me to his study and show me his research. I myself was always fascinated by his dreams and assertions, that's why I decided to further my education by entering the military academy.

Riza's memories were shown as she explained.

Riza – Because of my sharpshooter abilities and the manpower shortages in the region during the war, I was shipped out to the front lines to act as a sniper. That's where I met Roy Mustang, who at the time was only a major but also a valuable resource to the army. We were assigned as partners and we grew quite close. Eventually, Mustang was promoted to colonel and I was assigned as his first lieutenant.

Winry seemed to show more interest as she listened to Riza.

Riza – During that time, my father had finally invented a new technology that he believed would bring the start of a new age upon the world. However, no one gave any interest to his research as the war raged on. The top generals just said that they didn't have the time to even view his notes when they needed every available man they could find out on the field. Eventually, no one would even stop to listen to my father anymore. No matter what he said, no matter how many times he tried to explain, nobody gave him even a slight glance. It got so bad, that my father began to doubt his own beliefs and dreams. I couldn't stand seeing him like that. He wasn't saying anything wrong, yet people treated him like he was some sort of outcast. If they would just stop to listen for 5 minutes, they would understand his intentions. But no one did.

Riza's memories continued to flash by as she spoke.

Riza – The only one who ever truly took my father's research to heart was Mustang. But even with our current ranks, we couldn't do anything to help my father any further. And then… Mustang was retired from the military due to losing his eyesight after surviving a giant bomb explosion. But you must already know what really happened, don't you?

Riza was then shown, when she was younger, wearing her military uniform, standing outside at the entrance of an open door, leading to a dark room. Her hair was also as short as a guy's.

Riza – I was angry. I couldn't accept that after everything my father had achieved, this was the reward he got in return.

Back in the present, Riza looked up at the broken ceiling.

Riza – Then, Kyubey appeared. So I asked him… to make everyone listen to my father's research seriously.

Winry gasped and her eyes widened with shock. Riza's memories continued to play out as she spoke.

Riza – The next morning, the generals came back to my father, willing to hear about his new technology. And as a result, they were very satisfied with what he had to show them. The entire military even got involved to study his work themselves.

Young Riza was then shown in her magical contractor outfit, fighting a wraith.

Riza – As for me, while I maintained my duty as a soldier, I also began my duty as a magical contractor. It wasn't long before I ran into Mustang again and learned he was also a magical contractor. He was powerful and already very experienced from a year of training, so I asked him to teach me everything he already knew about being a magical contractor. The two of us became a team once again… a team that didn't stain their hands with the blood of other people whether they were our enemies or not, but that saved the lives of the innocent victims that were affected by the cursed beings that labored in this world. That's how I thought of it at the time anyway.

Riza smiled a little as she remembered the times she and Roy fought together.

Riza – I actually felt like a hero. I was wracked with guilt and regret over how many people I was forced to kill as a soldier. But as a magical contractor, I had the chance to atone my sins by protecting people from wraiths and witches. With my father improving humanity at the front, Mustang and I defending humanity from the shadows–I actually believed that we were going to save this world together.

Riza then frowned.

Riza – But one day, my father found out a terrible secret…

Winry looked at Riza with curiosity and slight nervousness.

Riza – His new technology was so great… that the military secretly used it to develop new and very destructive weapons for the war. But by the time he confronted the army about it, they had already unleashed the new weapons. The entire battlefield was tainted with even more blood than it ever had been before. I helplessly watched as my comrades used these machines of destruction to destroy everything and anyone in their path. The lives of a thousand innocent people and even children who had nothing to do with the war were taken… And there was nothing I could do about it. Not even with the new powers I possessed.

Winry looked at Riza with sad and shocked eyes.

Riza – My father drowned himself in guilt and despair once he saw his own inventions to revolutionize the world, being used as destructive weapons of murder. He blamed himself and his own research for causing such a horrible bloodshed. Then one night, he had a breakdown. To make sure that no one could ever use his discoveries for evil purposes ever again, and so his inventions would no longer threaten mankind… my father burned all of his research he worked his entire life for along with his entire facility to the ground. And soon after… he committed suicide to banish his evil soul from the world.

The memories ended and Riza and Winry were shown together in the present once again.

Riza – My wish destroyed my father… and was the cause of the great bloodshed in the Eastern War.

A single tear was shown leaking down Winry's face.

Riza – Because I made a wish for the sake of another person… I brought even more misfortune than before to so many people. After that, I made a vow in my heart to never use magic to help anyone else ever again. From then on… I only used this power for my sake alone.

Winry – What about Mustang-san? What happened between you two?

Riza – During our partnership, Mustang and I grew even closer than before. He was aware of the incident himself and tried to help me pull through it… but that still didn't stop him from hunting familiars and saving people. Mustang was the kind of man who dealt with enemies by acting prideful and arrogant. Even in the military, he was infamous among many other soldiers. You see, he had a huge dream to help the nation; of course there were times when he neglected his duties…

Riza then looked slightly irritated.

Riza – Especially his paperwork… And don't even get me started on how often he tried to use his skills and charm just to score dates with women.

Winry looked slightly nervous as she saw Riza's mood change, but then Riza seemed to regain her composure.

Riza – But even so, whenever there was a window of opportunity for him to be promoted, Mustang wouldn't hesitate to take it. Though it led to many other soldiers developing the idea that he only acted out of self-interest, Mustang's other subordinates and myself always knew he would go to the risks of helping others, even if it cost him his own life. And that is what makes us two so different. You can't have a magical contractor who fights for justice and a magical contractor who fights only for herself work together. So in the end… I split our partnership and left. The next time I ever heard about Roy Mustang again… was when I learned he died from fighting a witch.

Winry looked at Riza in shock.

* * *

Riza then turned around to face Winry again.

Riza – Miracles aren't free. If you wish for hope, an equal amount of despair will be rained down upon you, too. That's how this world stays in equivalent balance.

Winry looked down sadly.

Winry – Why are you telling me all of this? If you only live for your own benefit, why are you worrying about me, all of a sudden?

Riza – Because you started off with the same mistake as me. I don't want to see another person like me continue living the kind of life that will only bring more pain and regrets. Mustang was special because he liked the way he lived. With the sole intention to fight for justice, he was able to push himself to those lengths. But, we're not like that. We're not heroes like him.

Winry clenched her fists.

Riza – You've already paid a big enough price for your decision. But it's still not too late for you to turn around as well.

Winry – Hey, can I ask you something?

Riza looked at Winry curiously.

Winry – Did you also leave Mustang-san because you thought you couldn't be like him?

Riza looked down and smiled sadly.

Riza – I guess so. Perhaps, somewhere in my heart I wanted to continue fighting alongside him… But the scars I carried with me were even harder to bear the more I stayed beside him… Because he also reminded me of my father.

Winry finally looked back up at Riza, her eyes were now filled with sympathy and even a little respect.

Winry – I was really wrong about you. I'm sorry for assuming otherwise.

Winry's eyes then lit up with determination once again.

Winry – But even then, I don't regret making my wish for someone else's sake. Actually, after hearing your story, it made me realize that I don't want the feelings I made that wish with to become a lie. That's why I've decided I'll never regret anything. Ever.

Riza looked a bit shocked.

Winry – I don't think I paid too big of a price. Because I believe depending on how we use it, this power can truly be used for wonderful things. The truth is, when I became a magical contractor… I never really thought of myself as a hero or a defender of justice. Just the thought of using magic to help people was enough for me. And even now… I still want to use magic to help people. I know it's dangerous, and I know it's not all fun and games. But those are my true feelings.

Winry then looked down just a little again.

Winry – Which reminds me… When you fought alongside Mustang-san… how did you see him?

Riza looked a little confused.

Winry – Did you really think of him as a serious-minded senior who fights for justice?

Winry then giggled.

Winry – Yeah, that's how I first thought of him too. But, that was all a lie.

Riza looked surprised.

Winry – Mustang-san never wanted to be a defender of justice. All he really wanted was to be with someone else. He put up a facade and presented himself in front of us as a serious-minded senior so he wouldn't look useless or weak. But the truth was… he was actually lonely at heart and always afraid of failing to protect the people important to him.

Riza continued to stare at Winry in shock.

Winry – It wasn't until before his death when he told us who he really was on the inside. And I feel like such an idiot for thinking that that outer character of his was how he truly was. Maybe none of us can become true defenders of justice. But, that doesn't mean we should resort to becoming selfish magical contractors who let familiars run free for our own benefit. That's not what I want anyway.

Riza – What? How are you-

Winry – Of course, I don't have the right to criticize you for the way you think or the way you fight either. That's why, I'll do things my own way and continue my own fight.

Winry turned around and began to leave while Riza stared at her in shock.

Riza – Don't you understand?! We're magical contractors! There's no one else who can do what we do!

Winry stopped walking and turned her head around to look back at Riza.

Winry – I'll keep fighting for the sake of others… and I'll never use magic for myself. If you really can't stand seeing me go on like this, then you're welcome to come and try to kill me again. I won't lose.

Winry then smiled, which startled Riza even more.

Winry – But, I won't resent you anymore either. Thank you, Riza-san.

Riza's eyes widened even more once she heard Winry address her by her name. Winry then continued on her way out of the crumbled facility. Once she left, Riza's eyes started to fill with emotion and she looked down slightly at the ground.

Riza – Why? How can she…?

* * *

The next day, Alphonse and May were shown walking to school together. Suddenly Alphonse stopped once he heard running footsteps behind him and May.

May – What's wrong, Alphonse-sama?

Alphonse – It's just that…

Alphonse turned around and gasped slightly, causing May to turn around as well. Winry was shown running up to the two of them with a big smile on her face.

Winry – Al! May! Good morning!

Alphonse and May smiled once they saw their friend.

Alphonse and May – Winry!

Winry then caught up to her friends.

May – Good morning. Where were you yesterday?

Winry – Oh, I was just feeling a little sick…

Alphonse's smile then disappeared and he began to worry again. The three began to walk down the path to school together once again.

Alphonse – (Winry, are you sure you're okay?)

Winry – (Don't worry. I'm all right now.)

Alphonse smiled again.

Winry – So, what did I miss yesterday?

May – Not too much. I'll lend you my notes from yesterday to fill you in.

Winry – Thank you, May.

Alphonse kept glancing at Winry.

Alphonse – (Still, I'm worried. Even though she seems fine, Winry isn't the type who would be completely over something as shocking as this in just one day.)

Once the three friends got to school, Winry seemed to notice something.

Winry – Hold on, you guys. I'll be right back.

Alphonse – Winry? What are you-

Alphonse suddenly gasped in surprise once he saw Winry head towards Edward, who was already sitting at his desk. Winry stopped right in front of him and the two looked at each other for a while.

Edward – What is it?

Winry looked nervously to the side as her cheeks began to turn slightly red, then she looked back at Edward.

Winry – (Well… thank you. For getting back my Soul Timer when it fell on that truck. Al told me you were the one who retrieved it.)

Edward – (Yeah. Be careful from now on.)

Winry – (R-right.)

Winry then walked away, but her cheeks started to heat up even more.

Winry – (What's happening to me? Why do I keep blushing like this whenever I get near him?)

Winry walked back over to Alphonse and May.

May – What were you talking to Edward-san about, Winry?

Winry smiled.

Winry – Nothing really.

May looked suspicious.

May – But, your face is red. Are you…?

Winry – No I'm not! I probably still have a slight cold from yesterday, that's all.

May put up her hands in the air, indicating that she was giving up on the subject. She then smiled at Winry again.

May – Anyway Winry, Alphonse-sama told me that Hughes-san has finally been released from the hospital.

Winry seemed startled from May's statement and Alphonse noticed that she started to look just a tiny bit depressed.

Winry – Yeah, that's right.

Winry then tried to put up a forced smile.

Winry – He's completely fine now.

May – That's great! You must be really happy.

Winry – Y-yeah. I am…

Alphonse began to worry even more as he looked at Winry, noticing her upset expression.

* * *

After school ended, Winry went home right away.

Winry – I'm home!

Gracia – Oh, Winry! Can you come here for a minute?

Winry walked into her living room and she looked surprised once she saw Maes sitting on the couch with Gracia.

Maes – Welcome home!

Winry backed up a tiny bit and began to look a little nervous as she looked at Maes.

Maes – Hm? What's wrong, Winry? Gracia told me that you weren't feeling well yesterday. Are you still sick?

Winry regained her composure and tried to smile.

Winry – No, I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worry.

Winry walked over to the couch and sat next to Gracia.

Winry – What are you doing here, Hughes-san?

Maes put his hand behind his head and began to smile guiltily.

Maes – Well, there's something I have to tell you two…

Gracia and Winry looked interested, so they didn't say anything.

Maes – I probably should have told you both about this before… but I was offered a special opportunity at work to travel abroad to America for a month concerning a business matter.

Gracia and Winry looked shocked.

Maes – Because of the car crash, they were going to give the position to someone else. But, now that I've been discharged, they've asked me once again if I'm still willing to accept the offer.

Gracia – Well, are you going to go?

Maes sighed but kept smiling.

Maes – I know I just got out, but it's an extremely important chance. That's why I was wondering… Gracia, will you and Winry come with me?

Winry and Gracia's eyes widened with surprise.

Gracia – W-what?

Maes – I was already busy enough with work before… Then the accident happened and I made you both worry and wait even longer for me. I don't want to leave you two anymore… but this trip is a huge chance that I can't turn down. That's why, I want you both to go to America with me. It would be a great opportunity for both of you as well… Winry could learn a lot from spending time in a foreign country… plus, we would have many more chances to spend time together.

Gracia smiled, but Winry remained shocked.

Gracia – That's a wonderful idea, Maes! I think we should do it!

Winry looked at her mother, keeping her shocked expression.

Maes – Really?!

Gracia – Of course! Even if I'm gone for a month, it won't affect my job that much.

Winry's eyes then widened with slight realization, then she looked down at the ground sadly.

Maes – That's great! How about you, Winry?

Winry – I'm sorry. I can't go.

Maes and Gracia looked at Winry surprisingly.

Maes – What? Why not?

Winry didn't answer.

Gracia – Winry, what's wrong?

Winry then lifted her head up and she forced another smile.

Winry – It's just that… There are a lot of things I need to take care of here at the moment.

Gracia and Maes looked at Winry confusedly.

Gracia – What-

Winry – Besides… Even if it's only for a month, I don't want to leave all my friends.

Winry paused for a moment, then she looked at the ground again.

Winry – Especially Al. I definitely can't leave him here alone.

Gracia's eyes widened as she began to understand what Winry was saying. Then she smiled.

Gracia – I see. That's how it is.

Winry – I'm sorry, Mom, Hughes-san.

Maes – I understand. I guess we'll all just have to wait again.

Winry noticed how her mother began to look a little sad and how Maes seemed down as well despite the smile he was giving them.

Winry – But, it's still a great opportunity! That's why, Mom why don't you go with Hughes-san to America and I'll stay home by myself.

Gracia and Maes looked at Winry in shock.

Gracia and Maes – What?!

Gracia – But, that's…

Winry – Come on, Mom. I've taken care of myself plenty of times before. Besides, don't you think this would be a good chance to let me take on new responsibilities by letting me stay home by myself for a while?

Gracia – I guess so… but it this really such a good idea?

Maes – I agree. Winry, are you sure you can handle living by yourself for a whole month?

Winry – I'll be fine! I've always wanted a chance like this! Besides, I've already spent lot's of time with you at the hospital when I came to visit, Hughes-san. The amount of time I've spent with you completely surpasses Mom's. This trip will give you both the chance you need to catch up some more!

Maes scratched his head, feeling a bit uneasy.

Maes – I guess that's true.

Maes and Gracia looked at each other for a while, then they both smiled and turned back to Winry.

Maes – Okay, Winry.

Gracia – Just make sure to take care of yourself while we're gone okay?

Winry – Of course I will. So, Hughes-san when are you leaving?

Maes then looked at the two nervously.

Maes – Um… Tomorrow?

Gracia and Winry then turned white and they both looked shocked again.

Winry and Gracia – What?! Tomorrow?!

Gracia looked pretty mad as she marched up to Maes and shouted in his face.

Gracia – And you didn't tell us about this earlier?!

Maes – I-I'm sorry! It just slipped my mind-

Gracia – I swear, Maes!

Gracia then seemed to calm down but she still huffed.

Gracia – Well, there's no use complaining about it now. I'd better go pack.

One Gracia left the room, Maes breathed a sigh of relief, then he saw that Winry looked a little sad.

Maes – Winry, are you sure you're all right?

Winry looked up and tried to cover up her feelings again.

Winry – I'm telling you, I'm fine.

Maes – I don't know. I'm not so sure if it's really a good idea to leave you here by yourself, especially after knowing what happened to you yesterday.

Winry – I'm telling you, it was nothing. Hughes-san, you should focus more on Mom.

Maes – Huh?

Winry – After all, this trip marks the perfect opportunity for you to re-propose to her.

Maes then smiled.

Maes – I guess you're right. I was planning on doing it if she decided to come anyway.

Maes then stood up.

Maes – Thank you, Winry.

Maes walked over and rubbed Winry's head again.

Maes – You're such a good girl.

As Maes rubbed Winry's head, she looked down sadly again without him noticing.

* * *

Later on, Winry began to leave her house to go patrolling again, with Kyubey following behind. Alphonse was also standing outside her house again. Once Winry came outside, she was once again surprised to see Alphonse waiting for her.

Winry – Al…

Alphonse smiled at Winry.

Alphonse – Can I come along with you again, Winry?

Winry – But, you don't have any part in any of this. You shouldn't involve yourself with me.

Alphonse – I don't care.

Winry's eyes widened.

Alphonse – I don't want you to be alone, Winry. I know something's been bothering you… and I know you don't want me to worry. But, I still want to help you. That's what friends do for each other.

Winry then began to shake.

Winry – Why…? Why are you always so nice, Al? I don't deserve such kindness…

Alphonse looked shocked. He could also tell from Winry's voice that she was on the verge of tears.

Winry – I had a moment today, where I almost regretted something.

Alphonse looked at Winry worriedly. Tears then started leaking down her cheeks.

Winry – You know, Al… Hughes-san is being sent to America for a month because of his job. And he asked Mom and I to go with him. I told Mom that she should go with him and leave me here by myself. After all… How can I leave with them now that I'm a magical contractor? I'm in charge of this territory, so have to stay here to fight wraiths and witches… that's why I can't go with them. And then, for a split-second, I thought, "If only I hadn't healed Hughes-san… then I wouldn't be left here all alone in the end."

Winry looked up as she began to cry even more.

Winry – I'm not a good girl at all. I wonder… if Mustang-san had ever felt like this, too.

Tears began to form in Alphonse's eyes as he saw Winry cry. So he ran over and embraced her in a big hug, which Winry gladly returned as she cried even more.

Winry – Mom and Hughes-san are going to leave me…! The truth is… I'm tired of waiting! I don't want to wait anymore! But, there's nothing I can do about it! Because I'm already dead… I'm a zombie now…!

Alphonse cried even more himself.

Winry – How can we even be a real family now, when I have a body like this?! How can I possibly call him Dad when he and Mom get married?!

Winry and Alphonse cried some more. After a while, Winry calmed down and the two let go of each other. Winry wiped her eyes once she was free.

Winry – Thank you, Al. I'm sorry for worrying you this whole time.

Alphonse – It's all right. I'll always be here for you, Winry.

Winry nodded and smiled again.

Winry – I'm okay now. I just needed to get it all out. Let's go.

Alphonse looked surprised.

Alphonse – You'll really let me come with you?

Winry – Sure! We've got more wraiths and witches to defeat today!

Alphonse – Right!

* * *

Later on that night, Riza was standing on top of an unfinished bridge in a construction area. A labyrinth was sitting just underneath her and it was also fidgeting, meaning that someone was already fighting inside. As Riza continued to stare down at the labyrinth, Edward, who was already changed in his magical contractor outfit, landed behind her.

Edward – This is unexpected. Why are you just sitting quietly and watching?

Riza didn't turn around. She took out her Soul timer and opened it. The inside was glowing and the ticking needle began spinning very quickly to the right.

Riza – She's battling a witch tonight, not a familiar. She's sure to get a set of Grief Gears once she kills it. It's not a waste this time.

Edward – It's not like you to hand over your prey like this for such a reason.

Riza didn't answer, but then she noticed that the labyrinth began to fidget more frequently. She then scowled.

Riza – What is she doing?! It shouldn't take her this long to finish it!

Inside the barrier, the walls were completely white, the ground was pitch black, there was a red statue that had a sun within a sun at the top, and in front of it was a pitch black silhouette of a girl with tree branch hair and root feet, sitting on her knees like she was praying. The runes of the witch's name were shown at both sides of the sun statue saying, Elsa Maria, The Shadow Witch.

Winry was then shown; her entire body was pitch black as well, which made her look like a shadow, although the outlines of her body were shaded blue. Winry was panting heavily as she glared at Elsa Maria with a hard and determined gaze. Once Winry charged at her, black familiars that had long snake-like bodies but had heads shaped as all sorts of different animals appeared out of the ground and headed towards Winry. She stopped and sliced all the familiars that came at her with her sword. Then she got into a stance as more familiars came out of the ground and came at her. Winry grimaced as she killed those familiars as well. Then she charged towards Elsa Maria again, but a bunch of familiars began to block her way. Winry jumped up high into air above the familiars, flipped backwards, formed her magic circle beneath her feet, and pushed off it to give her more speed as she came straight down to slice Elsa Maria. However, just before Winry could strike, Elsa Maria's hair formed into a giant tree branch that blocked Winry. Then the tree branch grew even bigger, trapping Winry within it.

Alphonse was watching safely from the sidelines, he was also shaded completely pitch black except for the golden colored outlines of his body. He gasped in horror once he saw Elsa Maria swallow Winry, leaving only her hand sticking out.

Alphonse – Winry!

Alphonse ran forward but then stopped once he saw something slicing the tree branch. Once the tree branch was broken to bits, Riza, who was also as black as a shadow except for her body's purple outlines, was shown holding an injured Winry. Riza's lance was also separated into its many parts, indicating that she was the one who set Winry free. Once Riza landed on the ground, she placed Winry down and looked towards Elsa Maria.

Riza – You're being too reckless. Think ahead before you charge into a situation. Just stay back for now. I'll finish it off.

Riza twirled her lance around and took a battle stance. But then she looked down surprisingly to see Winry get back up and prepare to charge again.

Riza – What are you doing?!

Winry – Stay out of my way. I can do it myself.

Winry's voice sounded cold and emotionless, which shocked both Alphonse and Riza very much. Winry then took off like a bullet and managed to get all the way to Elsa Maria. Once she did, Winry immediately sliced off Elsa Maria's head, causing blood to splatter. Then, two tentacles from Elsa Maria's body, which had turned into a morphing blob since her head was chopped off, struck Winry to the ground.

Alphonse – Winry!

Alphonse began to run, but Riza stopped him.

Riza – Don't get any closer!

Just then, Alphonse and Riza looked towards Winry confusedly as they heard her begin to laugh. Winry got up and kept laughing even as more tentacles flew by her and injured her even more.

Riza – Are you…?

Just then, Elsa Maria's tentacles struck Winry high up into the air, but Winry just kept laughing while destroying every tentacle coming her way as she came back down. Then Winry landed straight on top of Elsa Maria and sliced her body in half. Winry kept laughing like a maniac as she continued to strike Elsa Maria countlessly and mercilessly with her sword.

Winry – It's really true! If I just detach myself…

Winry's face was then shown. Her eyes couldn't be seen, but she was smiling maniacally and she had many cuts all over her body.

Winry – I really don't feel any pain!

More tentacles grabbed Winry, but she just kept striking Elsa Maria and laughing maniacally. Alphonse and Riza didn't move as they watched her. Neither of their expressions could be seen either, but it could be assumed that they were filled with absolute horror.

* * *

**Scaaarrrryyyyy much… But, despair can make even the gentlest hearts hard(And ****maaaybe just a biiit wacko.)**

**And, that scene with Winry and Ed… Do I sense the signs of a familiar "SHIP" coming along?(Wink, wink.)**

**I know how in the original anime, Homura said that she was no longer human either, but the reason I didn't make Edward say that is because when he was fighting the other suits of armor in the Fifth Laboratory, he said that he considers both of them and Alphonse human even though they are(souls bonded to an empty shell.) So why should this be any different from then? I mean, at least magical girls, or in my case, magical contractors HAVE bodies that CAN still feel and function as regular human bodies. Alphonse didn't have a body AT ALL.**

**Wow, souls taken out of bodies that are now empty shells and souls actually bonded to bodies that are empty shells. Is it just me, or are these two anime's like completely the same in SO MANY ways. That's why I decided to do this.**

**Anyway, look forward to the next chapter! See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**WOW! EPISODE 8 ALREADY!**

**I didn't think I would ever get this far, but here we are. And I would like to thank those of you who have reviewed and told me your thoughts. It really means a lot to me that you're telling me your opinions and I hope all of you who are reading like the story.**

**Sorry it took so long to update, but now that I'm on Spring Break from school, I'll be sure to update as fast as I can.**

**Well, with that out of the way, let's read!**

* * *

As Winry kept striking Elsa Maria, the witch's body eventually stopped moving and the walls of the barrier began to crack, meaning that she was dead. Alphonse and Riza were caught a bit off guard as the labyrinth began to deform since their attention was so focused on Winry, who finally stopped hitting Elsa Maria's now dead body. Winry stumbled a little as she stood up, but she kept smiling.

Winry – It's easy once you know how to do it.

Winry's magic circle appeared over every one of her injuries as she healed them.

Winry – I'm sure I'll never lose this way.

The barrier completely disappeared and turned back into the construction area. Winry, who was standing right in front of Elsa Maria's Grief Gears, leaned down and picked them up. Then she slowly tuned around towards Riza and threw them at her. Riza caught the Grief Gears and noticed that there was something off about Winry the way she was smiling and looking at her.

Winry – You can have it. That's what you want, isn't it?

Riza didn't say anything and she just looked at Winry with narrowed eyes. Winry then began to walk towards Alphonse.

Winry – This is so I won't be in your debt any more. Now we're even. Come on, let's go, Al.

Riza continued to watch Winry even after she walked passed her. As Winry got closer to Alphonse, she undid her transformation but then she stumbled and fell into Alphonse's arms.

Winry – Oh, sorry… I'm just… a little tired…

Winry tried to get back up, but then she began to fall again. Alphonse caught her just in time and continued to look at her worriedly.

Winry – Winry, don't push yourself. Here, lean on me.

Alphonse helped Winry walk as they began to leave. Riza continued to stare after them, mainly at Winry.

Riza – What's gotten into her…?

* * *

Later on, it started raining and Alphonse and Winry were stuck waiting in a sheltered bus stop. Both of them were sitting close together, but neither of them looked happy.

Alphonse – Winry… You shouldn't fight like that. Even though you're saying it doesn't hurt, I know that's a lie. I can tell just by looking at you.

Winry remained silent.

Alphonse – Just because you don't feel the pain, doesn't mean it's okay to get hurt like that!

Winry – If I don't fight like that, I won't be able to win. Because I don't have any natural talent for this.

Alphonse – Yes you do! Kyubey told me! He said that even though your potential is small, it's still enough for you to evolve into a great magical contractor. You just have to keep training. Don't just use this method to win.

Winry – That will still take time. For now, all I can use is this.

Alphonse – But it's not good for you, Winry!

Winry was silent for a moment.

Winry – What's "good for me?"

Alphonse's eyes widened with shock, then Winry stood up and held out her Soul Timer to him. It was open and the inside was still blue, but the big needle had dropped all the way to the number six.

Winry – Now that my body has ended up this way, what could ever be "good for me?"

Alphonse stared at Winry's Soul Timer and he didn't say anything.

Winry – The only worth I have left in this world is killing wraiths and witches… Everything else I worked for my whole life is now gone… Including mechanics.

Alphonse looked even more shocked as he heard Winry use her words to throw away her most favorite and precious passion in the world.

Winry – After all, I'm just a walking, talking corpse, pretending it's still alive. What kind of "good" could anyone possibly do for me now? It's stupid to even think about it.

Alphonse recoiled a little at Winry's harsh words.

Alphonse – Stop it, please. I just want to make you happy again, Winry…

Winry turned her head slowly towards Alphonse. Without either of them noticing, the inside of Winry's Soul Timer started to darken and the big needle began to move again.

Winry – Then you fight them.

Alphonse looked surprised.

Winry – I also heard something from Kyubey. He said that you have more natural talent than anyone to become a magical contractor. You could finish off any wraith or witch easily without even suffering the way I am or the way Mustang-san did.

Alphonse – What? But… there's no way I could…

Winry – If you really want to help me, then why don't you start by experiencing what I've experienced first.

Alphonse stared at Winry without answering.

Winry – You can't, can you? Of course not.

Winry walked towards the doors, which opened up once she got close enough.

Winry – You can't just give up being human out of a little pity, right?!

Alphonse looked shocked.

Alphonse – Pity?! That's not true!

Winry turned her head back to Alphonse again, but this time her eyes looked almost inhuman, which scared Alphonse a little.

Winry – Instead of someone like you, who could accomplish anything but won't–I'm the one suffering instead! So don't act like you care, when you've conveniently overlooked that!

Tears began to form in Alphonse's eyes. He couldn't believe what Winry was saying to him. Winry stepped outside into the rain and began to walk away. Alphonse then sat up and began to follow her.

Alphonse – Winry, wait!

Winry stopped abruptly, but she didn't turn around.

Winry – Don't follow me, Alphonse!

Alphonse stopped and stared at Winry in complete shock. She rarely ever called him by his full first name, and when she did it was either when she was really angry at him or truly upset enough to take her anger out on anyone. Winry then ran away, leaving Alphonse standing in the rain alone, watching her leave as guilt began to claw at his heart once again. As Winry ran, she began to cry again, instantly regretting everything she said to Alphonse.

Winry – (I'm such an idiot! Why did I say all those terrible things to him?! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Al!)

Winry's Soul Timer was shown again, the inside was darkening very quickly and the big needle had already ticked down further to the number eight.

* * *

Meanwhile, Riza was over at Edward's house discussing strategies for defeating Walpurgisnacht. They were both sitting in Edward's living room, a bunch of maps and sheets of information were placed on the walls and the living room table.

Edward – Walpurgisnacht's descent will occur within this area of the city…

Edward pointed to a certain point on a map of East City, which was sitting on the table as well.

Riza – How do you know that?

Edward – Statistics.

Riza – What? Statistics? But, I've never heard of Walpurgisnacht appearing in East City before. What kind of "statistics" are you estimating with exactly?

Edward remained silent. Riza then sighed.

Riza – I know we haven't given each other much right to trust each other… but if we're going to fight this witch together, then is it really so hard just to open up to me a title bit more?

Kyubey – I'd certainly like to ask the same… Edward Chrono.

Edward's eyes widened once he heard Kyubey's voice. Kyubey was sitting just a little away from Edward and Riza, watching the two. Edward's gaze hardened again as he glanced at Kyubey. Riza then opened up her Soul Timer and formed a lance from it with magic, pointing it straight at Kyubey. She also looked pretty angry to see him.

Riza – Who gave you the right to show your face around here?!

Kyubey – My, my. I take it I'm an uninvited guest here? And here I came all this way just to give you some important information…

Riza – What information?

Kyubey – Winry Rockbell's deterioration is happening far quicker than I expected.

Edward's eyes slightly widened.

Kyubey – It isn't just all the magic she's using… She, herself, has begun to curse the world.

Riza kept glaring at Kyubey.

Riza – Well, when you think about it, there's only one who could be at fault for that.

Kyubey – At this rate, she'll be causing you some trouble… before Walpurgisnacht descends. You'd best be on your guard.

Riza then looked confused and lowered her lance.

Riza – What are you talking about?

Kyubey – Perhaps you should ask him instead of me.

Riza turned towards Edward, who kept glaring coldly at Kyubey.

Kyubey – I'm sure you already know what I'm talking about, Edward Chrono.

Edward was silent.

Kyubey – I thought so. Just where did you learn such interesting things? I'm very, very curious to know… Are you by chance…?

Edward narrowed his eyes.

Edward – I've heard everything I wanted to hear from you. Get out.

Edward bitterly turned away from Kyubey, who then closed his eyes and walked away. Riza then summoned back her lance into her Soul Timer.

Riza – Are you sure about letting him go?

Edward – As much as he pisses me off, there's no point in killing that creature.

Riza – Either way, what's happening to Winry Rockbell? What exactly is this "trouble" that monster was talking about?

Edward looked up at Riza for a moment, then he lowered his head to avoid eye contact.

Edward – Her Soul Timer has become too tainted. If it's not purified soon, there will be no way to save her after that…

One of Edward's eyes was shown and it looked both sad and worried.

* * *

The next day during school, Alphonse looked over at Winry's seat, which was empty again. He then thought back to when Winry ran away the other night.

Alphonse – (I should've gone after her…)

Later on that evening, Winry was saying goodbye to Maes and Gracia, who were just about to leave for America.

Maes – I'm glad you got home before we left.

Winry appeared to be smiling, but inside she wasn't happy at all.

Winry – Of course! I have to see you two off before you leave for an entire month! (I couldn't stay home… but I can't tell them that I skipped school either. It would just cause them more problems. At least they can be two people I won't do that to.)

Gracia – Take care of yourself, Winry.

Winry – I will. Have a good trip!

Winry waved as she watched Maes and Gracia leave. They waved back as well, but once they were out of sight, Winry's depression began to show through once again and then she ran off. Just as soon as she left, Alphonse showed up at her house. He rang the doorbell, but when no one answered he tried opening the door, which did. Alphonse looked all over the house, forgetting his intrusion for the sake of finding Winry, but no one was inside. Alphonse stepped outside worriedly.

Alphonse – No one's home. If Gracia-san and Hughes-san have already left for their trip… then… where did Winry go? I've got to find her!

Alphonse ran off to try to find Winry, who was currently walking through the streets without giving any thought to where she was going. The only thoughts that were going on through her head were the despairing emotions and regrets that were driving her mad.

* * *

Later on, Winry was shown fighting more familiars while shouting out her despair and frustration as she mercilessly sliced through each familiar she saw. However, instead of releasing her distress, Winry felt as if her mind was falling apart as if the parts from a machine were falling out of place one by one. Once she finished off the familiars, the labyrinth disappeared and Winry fell to her knees, using her sword for support. She managed to stand back up and undo her transformation, but she was panting heavily and her Soul Timer was incredibly dark now. The big needle had shifted all the way to the number ten.

Suddenly Winry turned around abruptly once she heard footsteps behind her. She then saw Edward walking towards her, causing her to blush again, but only slightly since her mind was currently filling with despair. Edward looked concerned as he approached her.

Winry – Edward…

Edward – I don't have anything against fighting familiars. But don't avoid wraiths and witches. You're going to end up unable to fight.

Winry – With you and Riza-san here… you should be able to take care of all the wraiths and witches yourselves. That way, I can focus on the familiars. Then we'd all be happy and the town would be safe…

Edward then looked mad.

Edward – That's not the problem here, you moron!

Winry looked up at Edward in shock.

Edward – Your Soul Timer is just about at its limit. You need to purify it now. Use these.

Edward threw a set of Grief Gears at Winry, which she caught. She looked at them for a while before she let them slide out of her hand and drop to the ground.

Winry – I'm sorry. But I can't accept them.

Edward's eyes widened.

Winry – Someone like me doesn't deserve to use them.

Edward seemed to grow even more frustrated. Then he stepped closer to Winry.

Edward – Why can't you understand?! I'm trying to save you! Do you hate being rescued that much?! If you keep this up much longer… you're going to die!

Winry looked down sadly.

Winry – I don't really care if I die. It just means I won't be able to kill wraiths or witches anymore, and my purpose as a magical contractor will be finished. In other words, I won't be of use anymore.

Winry gave a small, sad smile.

Winry – That's fine with me.

Winry then fell to her knees.

Winry – Because no matter what I do I always just end up hurting others. What does the world need me for if all I do is bring pain to the people I'm trying to protect?

Edward – You're such a fool.

Winry looked up at Edward.

Edward – Even if you do end up hurting all the people you care about… That doesn't give you any excuse to just throw your life away. Are you really going to give up on everything you've fought for just for some crazy reason like that? If you allow yourself to die, you'll only end up hurting all the people who are precious to you even more than before. Do you really want that to happen? You're already making Alphonse suffer more and more right now.

Winry continued to stare at Edward for a while before she spoke again.

Winry – Why? Why do you want to save me so much? Both me and Al? Why are you always looking out for us? I don't get it. The day you transferred here should be the day we first met you… and yet just by looking at your eyes, I can tell there's something so suspicious about you… it hurts. Why do I always get these feelings whenever I'm near you?

Edward was silent for a while.

Edward – For one thing, the reason why I look out for you and Alphonse… is because you two… mean very much to me.

Winry's eyes widened with shock. Edward then transformed into his magical contractor outfit.

Edward – You're very perceptive. I'll admit it. I can't stand seeing any of you go through this anymore. Everything I do is for the sake of one desire… To protect what I care about.

Winry kept staring at Edward shockingly. He then started walking closer to her.

Edward – You know, you're not the only one who has those feelings. It hurts inside for me, too. But I guess it make sense.

Edward kneeled down to Winry.

Edward – After all, even though I've always denied it… I've felt this way about you for a long time.

Edward put his left hand over Winry's right hand. Once they made contact, Winry suddenly gasped in shock. A very familiar and warm feeling crept throughout her entire body, much more than it ever had before. Winry looked up at Edward again and her eyes widened with realization.

Winry – Are you…? You couldn't be…?

Someone's silhouette was then shown running through the hallways. Back with Edward and Winry, his eyes looked as if they were pleading now and they were also full of concern.

Edward – Don't make Alphonse, or even me have to watch you destroy yourself… when I can help you… here and now. Winry.

Winry's eyes widened even more once Edward called her by her first name. Edward reached his armored hand out and picked up the Grief Gears set beside Winry, then he reached out and tried to grab Winry's Soul Timer. Suddenly, Riza showed up and she used the chains from her lance to pull Edward away from Winry before he could grasp hold of her Soul Timer, causing her to fall backwards. The Grief Gears Edward were holding fell out of his grasp and onto the floor.

Riza – Hurry! Run away!

Edward tried to struggle out of Riza's grasp, but she held him down firmly. Winry and Edward stared at each other for a while before she looked to the ground sadly.

Winry – (I'm sorry. Please, take care of Al.)

Edward's eyes widened.

Edward – (No! Wait!)

Winry then got up and stumbled away slowly. Edward kept struggling to try to go after her, but Riza kept holding him down, even when Winry was out of sight.

Riza – What were you trying to do, taking her Soul Timer like that?

Edward then grit his teeth out of anger and frustration.

Edward – Do you have any idea what you've just done?! She won't even bother trying to purify it herself anymore! Someone had to do it for her! Let me go!

Riza then gasped since she just realized something, then she grinned.

Riza – I see. By keeping a grip on you like this, you can't use that strange technique of yours, can you?

Edward narrowed his eyes and grimaced. The small compartment on the hand of his armored arm suddenly opened up to reveal the inner mechanism inside. On both sides of the mechanism were one glass orb half-filled with sand. The two orbs appeared to be connected as well, allowing the sand to flow from one orb, through the middle of the mechanism, to the other orb, acting as an hourglass. A grenade then fell out of Edward's coat and into his left hand, which shocked Riza. Edward pulled the trigger off the grenade with his mouth. Just as he did, Riza released him and gilded away to take cover. The inner mechanism in the hand of Edward's armored arm began to activate again and a magic circle appeared above it. Edward then disappeared but left the grenade behind, which turned out to be a flash-bang since a burst of light erupted when the grenade set off. Once the light disappeared, Riza sat up from the floor and scowled once she saw that Edward got away.

* * *

Later on, Winry was shown riding on a train. The only other people in the same train car as her were two guys sitting further away, but Winry could hear their entire conversation.

Train Guy 1 – No way, man, you can't let the dumb slut make any excuses. Gotta get her to fork over all the money she makes. Cuz women are complete morons. They get money in their hands and they blow it all on stupid crap.

Sho – Yeah, seriously, man… You just can't treat women like rational human beings. You gotta treat 'em like they're stupid dogs or something. But you know, my stupid hoe would probably be happy with that! All I gotta say is, "I'm gonna bust up your face!" and she shuts right up! You give 'em an inch and they're all over you, whining to get married and such crap. You just can't let up on them. You think a stupid-for-brains hostess like you will still be around in 10 years? That hoe body ain't gonna last forever, y'know!

Train Guy 1 – God, they're so annoying when it comes time to dump them. You are really good at dumpin' hoes, though, Sho. I envy you! Dude, I gotta learn from you.

Sho then looked in front of him to see Winry now standing in front of him and his friend.

Winry – Hey, tell me more about her.

Sho – Um, what?

Winry – The woman you were talking about just now. Tell me more about her.

Winry then looked over to her right side.

Train Guy 1 – Are you a middle schooler, kid? You shouldn't be out this late.

Winry – That woman… she probably loves you and tries hard to make you happy. I bet you know that too, don't you? And yet you call her a dog? Haven't you ever told her, "thank you"? Are you really going to dump her once she stops being useful?

Sho – What the… Do you know this kid?

Train Guy 1 – No…

Winry slumpely tuned her head back to the two guys.

Winry – Hey… is this world even worth protecting? What have I been fighting for all this time? Tell me. You, right now. Tell me. Or else, I'll…

Winry's eyes appeared to be losing grasp of their sanity. Just then, Winry's Soul Timer, which was being held in her hand, began imbuing magic all over her body. Except this magic looked black and tainted. Winry's eyes were closed as the magic completely covered her body, but then one of them opened. Her eye looked completely inhuman and her magic circle was spinning around in it as well. The train continued on its path.

* * *

Alphonse – Winry… Where are you?

Alphonse was shown walking through the park by the fountain, searching for Winry. He then stopped once he saw Kyubey's silhouette sitting within the shadow of the streetlamp he was sitting next to.

Kyubey – Are you upset with me, too?

Light draped in Kyubey's direction, changing the angel of the streetlamp's shadow and revealing him completely.

Alphonse – Even if I am, would you turn Winry back to normal?

Kyubey – I can't. It's beyond my power to do that.

Alphonse – I knew it.

Alphonse then sat down at a bench behind him.

Alphonse – Kyubey… You once told me that I could become an incredibly powerful magical contractor. Was that really true?

Kyubey ran over and sat on the bench with Alphonse.

Kyubey – "Incredible" doesn't even begin to describe it. Your power would be almost incomprehensible! You'd probably be the strongest being in this world!

Alphonse – If I made the contract with you before… would Winry still have had to become a magical contractor?

Kyubey – Winry had her own wish as well. You really had nothing to do with her decision.

Alphonse and Kyubey were silent for a while.

Alphonse – But, why would I have such great potential?

Kyubey – I have no idea, either. Truth be told, your latent potential is on a scale that theoretically shouldn't even be possible. I want someone to come explain it as much as you do.

Alphonse's eyes widened with surprise.

Kyubey – If you were to release your power, the miracle you could unleash might twist the very fabric of the universe. Why you alone should carry such unthinkable power… I can't guess the reason right now.

Alphonse – I always thought there was nothing truly special about me. That I would never be anything more than the "super smart and athletic" child prodigy, Alphonse Elric, everyone thinks I am. Having no abilities that could really help anyone or even define me as myself. It was really frustrating and kind of lonesome to think about. But I always figured there was nothing I could do about it.

Alphonse looked up at the stars and remained silent.

Kyubey – Though the reality is quite different. Alphonse, if you wished it… you could even become the god of this world.

Kyubey looked up to the stars as well. Alphonse's eyes then widened with realization.

Alphonse – Then… Would I be able to do things that even you can't do, Kyubey?

Kyubey – What do you mean?

Alphonse – If I made a contract with you, would I be able to turn Winry back into a regular girl again?

Kyubey – That would be child's play for you.

Kyubey's eyes were closed and his head was facing the ground, then he opened his eyes and turned his head to his right side to look straight at Alphonse.

Kyubey – Would that be worth trading your soul for, then?

Alphonse put a determined expression on his face and moved closer to Kyubey.

Alphonse – If it's for Winry's sake, then yes. I'll do it. I'll become a mag-

Before Alphonse could finish, everything seemed to freeze, and the next thing he knew, Kyubey's entire body was full of bullet holes. The body fell down, dead, and Alphonse stared at it in horror. Edward was then shown in his magical contractor clothes, dropping a semi-automatic pistol he used to kill Kyubey. The gun fell slowly to the ground and Alphonse turned around immediately after he heard it clang on the floor. Alphonse stared at Edward in horror as he walked closer to him. Edward was panting as he looked at Alphonse with a hard expression again.

Alphonse – Th-that was horrible, Edward! You didn't have to kill him-

Edward's eyes narrowed even more and he walked even closer to Alphonse.

Edward – You- Why do you always try to sacrifice yourself like that?

Alphonse looked at Edward surprisingly. His voice still sounded harsh but it was also breaking and it even sounded caring as well. Alphonse also saw that Edward's eyes were showing more pain and care in them than they ever had before.

Edward – Calling yourself useless, and meaningless… Don't treat yourself like you don't matter! Think about all the people who consider you precious!

Edward then lowered his head, reached forward, and grabbed Alphonse's shoulders.

Edward – Stop being such a fool!

Edward's body began shaking and he sounded like he was on the verge of crying.

Edward – There are so many people who would grieve if you died! Why can't you understand that?! What about the people who are trying so hard to protect you?!

Edward stood up and Alphonse could see his expression clearly. Tears were beginning to well up in Edward's eyes, which were also filled with so many emotions, darkness, terror, sadness, desire, and most of all, love even. Edward then closed his eyes and fell to his knees, trying to hold back his tears as he struggled to contain his emotions.

Alphonse – Edward…!

Alphonse stood up and kneeled down to Edward worriedly.

Alphonse – Edward, are you ok-

Alphonse eyes widened and he suddenly froze once he touched Edward's left hand. A very similar feeling that Winry felt when her and Edward's hands touched swarmed through Alphonse, except for his contact with Edward was much more powerful than Winry's was. Memories of when Alphonse and Winry were much younger then began to quickly flash through Alphonse's mind.

Alphonse – Have… we… known each other before…?

Edward – I can't…

Edward didn't say anything more. Alphonse continued to stare down at him in shock.

Alphonse – It can't be… Are you…? Is this really…?!

Alphonse couldn't finish any of his sentences either. There was silence between the two for a while.

Alphonse – I-I'm really sorry.

Alphonse picked up his schoolbag and backed away from Edward a little.

Alphonse – I have to find Winry.

Edward – No, wait! Winry is already…

Alphonse gasped again after hearing Edward address Winry by her first name.

Alphonse – I'm sorry, Edward!

Alphonse then ran off. Edward tried to stand up to stop him, but his legs gave out under him and he fell back down to his hands.

Edward – Wait! No!

Tears still threatened to spill from Edward's eyes, but they didn't. He then reached out to Alphonse.

Edward – Al!

Alphonse froze in complete shock once he was halfway up the stairs. The only people who ever called him by that nickname were Winry, Trisha, Izumi, his father, and… After standing still for a while, Alphonse finally continued on his way up the rest of the stairs.

Edward – Al… Damn it!

Edward slammed his armored fist hard on the ground. His body continued to shake uncontrollably as he tried to keep himself from breaking down.

Kyubey – You knew there was no point in doing that. You just don't learn, do you?

Kyubey's shadow then appeared standing on a fence behind Edward, whose body stopped shaking once he heard Kyubey's voice and his tiny whimpers faded out as well, indicating that he was back in control of his emotions. Edward turned his head around and glared at Kyubey coldly and angrily. Kyubey's silhouette was shown standing on the fence.

Kyubey – I have countless spares, of course, but making me use them up for no reason like this… It's a waste.

Kyubey hopped down and ran over to the bench where his other "dead" body remained. He then began to eat the remains of the body; Edward didn't look disturbed by this, however. Once Kyubey finished eating and swallowed, Edward stood back up and brushed his bangs out of his face. Kyubey stared at Edward, then he rolled around on his back similar to how a cat does.

Kyubey – That's the second time you've killed me. But thanks to that, I was finally able to see what your magic specialty is.

Kyubey rolled over and looked at Edward again.

Kyubey – That was Time Magic, wasn't it?

Edward's eyes widened with shock. Kyubey then closed his eyes, figuring out that he was right.

Kyubey – That's what I thought. I had suspected as much already, but… You're not from this timeline, are you?

Edward glared strongly and coldly at Kyubey again.

Edward – That's right. I know what you really are and what you're planning.

Kyubey – I see. So that's why you've been trying so hard to keep interfering with me. Do you want to change Alphonse Elric's fate that badly?

Edward – Of course I do. I won't let things to go according to your plans, Kyubey.

Edward then narrowed his eyes even more.

Edward – No… "Incubator"!

Kyubey stared at Edward for a while without saying anything.

* * *

Meanwhile at a train station, Winry was sitting on one of the benches at the station, her head was down and she was holding her favorite wrench in her right hand. Riza was then shown running up the escalator and walking towards Winry.

Riza – I finally found you! May I sit?

Winry faintly nodded her head and Riza sat down next to her.

Riza – You can't keep running away like this. Avoiding your problems won't do anything to solve them.

Winry – I know… I'm sorry for making you look for me, Riza-san.

Riza looked at Winry concernedly.

Riza – You don't sound like yourself. Stop being stubborn. Tell me what's wrong.

Winry – I just… can't care about anything anymore. I can't remember what I thought was so important, that I wanted to protect it… None of it makes sense anymore.

Winry's voice sounded so broken, it was almost heartbreaking to Riza.

Riza – I know how you feel. I've been down that road t-

Winry then opened up her left hand, revealing her almost completely black but still slightly blue Soul Timer. The big needle was marked between the numbers eleven and zero. Riza gasped once she saw how ugly and tainted Winry's Soul Timer looked.

Winry – Hope and despair balance back out to zero… You told me that yourself, remember? Now I finally understand what you meant… The equivalence of balance we're forced to carry. It's true that I did save lots of people. But in exchange, my heart became filled with resentment and hatred. So much that I even hurt one of my dearest friends… and pushed away someone I loved.

Riza – Winry! You didn't-?!

Winry – For as much happiness as we wish on one person, we can't help but curse someone else with that exact measure. And it is our role to bear those curses. That's what it means to be a magical contractor.

Winry looked over at Riza as a teardrop escaped from her eye and fell to the ground. Winry's smile was sad and her eyes were completely filled with pain, regret, sorrow, and most of all, despair. Tears also continued to stream down Winry's face.

Winry – I was… a real idiot.

The single teardrop that fell from Winry's face landed on the inside of her open Soul Timer. After the tear splashed on the watch, it darkened completely and the big needle finally landed back on zero. Just then, a black version of Winry's magic circle appeared beneath her feet and a big spray of dark magic erupted from Winry's Soul Timer, creating a huge force of wind that blew Riza away. The ticking needle in Winry's Soul Timer began to spin very quickly to the right, then the watch began to crack until it broke apart completely, leaving behind only the gears that worked the inside of the Soul Timer. A small pole formed between the black gears currently floating in Winry's hands, then the gears floated up above her and began turning, causing black lightning to surround the entire area. Winry's body fell lifelessly to the floor and the wind began to blow even stronger. Winry's body was blown away by the harsh wind and more black magic began erupting from the black gears. The figure of some kind of robot-like creature was then shown. Riza was managing to hold onto a railing as the wind continued trying to blow her away as well.

Riza – WINRYYYY!

* * *

The construction site where Elsa Maria's battle took place was then shown.

Kyubey – In this country, half-grown men and women are called "boys" and "girls," right?

Kyubey was then shown sitting underneath the moon on top of one of the cranes.

Kyubey – In that case, it's appropriate that you, who were born from contracts and will one day grow into wraiths and witches, should be called "magical contractors."

Kyubey then looked over to the train station, which he could see from being up so high, as he viewed the dark magic exploding from the area.

* * *

**OH MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT! I'M SORRY, I'M SO SORRY, BUT IT NEEDED TO BE DONE!**

**I know, Winry's a witch now, but this is not the end of the EdWin shipping in this story! There will be a little more later on and there will be a lot more in the sequel! So don't panic!**

**But now thing are getting REALLY interesting, aren't they? Part of Edward's secret was revealed, a bit of Kyubey's intentions were revealed, Winry mentioned that she does love Ed… OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS PAIRING! Sorry, got a bit carried away there.**

**I will be sure to update soon, bye.**


	9. Chapter 9

**OH MY GOD! I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE!**

**I guess I got a bit ****lazy because I already had this chapter done a long time ago (please don't kill me) and I just forgot to update. But this time I PROMISE I won't take so long to get the remaining three chapters out.**

**THIS STORY WILL NOT BE ABANDONED! I WILL COMPLETE IT!**

**I'm also cheering for all of you other puella magi/fullmetal alchemist crossover writers out there to find inspiration for your own stories. And as a special response to ZwesomeRachel, your review made me SOOOO happy when I read it. (sobbing) THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**You totally have my permission if you want to draw fan art or make comics based off of my story, I completely support.**

* * *

Back with Riza, she noticed that what looked like a wraith or a witch's labyrinth began to appear. Once the labyrinth had completely formed, Riza landed on solid ground and took out her Soul Timer, which began flashing and the ticking needle started spinning very quickly to the right. The barrier had a night-like blue sky, checkered pattern floors, train tracks floating in midair and set on the ground and walls, and there were dozens of origami crane familiars carrying small syringes flying in every area of the labyrinth. This witch looked liked a giant, broken and rusted medical assisting automaton, sitting in a chair while folding origami. Despite being badly rusted, the witch's movements were not slow or creaky at all, but her face did look warped and monstrous because of the rust deforming the head design. Her runes were floating in the sky saying, Elicia, The Surgery Witch.

Riza looked down at her feet to see Winry's wrench lying right in front of her, so she picked it up. She then gasped once she looked up and saw Winry's limp body falling in midair in front of Elicia.

Riza – Winry!

Riza quickly transformed into her magical contractor outfit and headed for Winry. Elicia tilted her head up just a bit and saw Riza heading her way. She then raised up her right arm as if she was giving a signal and a bunch of her origami crane familiars began charging towards Riza, who managed to dodge them all or block them with her lance. Riza then leapt into the air and grabbed Winry's body, holding her close as she floated in the air in front of Elicia, who then let out a loud and powerful witch cry. Riza looked at Elicia with confusion, then with slight anger.

Riza – What is this?! What have you done to Winry?!

Elicia then sent more of her familiars towards Riza, who landed onto the railroad tracks and tried to avoid the incoming crane familiars, but it was hard to do so while carrying Winry's body at the same time. One familiar seemed to have a clear shot of Riza and Winry, but before it could attack either of them, the familiar was quickly destroyed by a small blast.

Edward – Get back!

Riza looked over to her right side to see Edward standing on another railroad track, looking straight at Elicia. Edward disappeared again, and once Riza turned back to Elicia, a bomb appeared in between the witch and the two girls and quickly exploded, creating a cover of smoke. He then appeared in front of Riza and held out his left hand to her while keeping his eyes locked on Elicia.

Edward – Take my hand.

Riza – What? Why?

As the cover of smoke began to disappear, Elicia raised up her right arm again once she saw Edward, Riza, and Winry. The train riding along the train tracks in the barrier whistled and passed behind Elicia just as soon as she raised her arm, indicating that she must have summoned it.

Edward – There's no time for questions! Just do it!

Riza narrowed her eyes in frustration, knowing that Edward was right, then she quickly grabbed his hand and held on tight. Edward's armored arm activated again and suddenly, everything in the barrier froze expect for him and Riza, who looked surprised as she examined her surroundings.

Riza – This is…

Edward – Don't let go of my hand, or time will stop for you as well. Come on!

Edward then began leading Riza away from Elicia; the two of them were still holding hands. Despite the difference in size, the two magical contractors ran perfectly in sync without tripping over each other. However, Riza still looked incredibly shocked and confused.

Riza – What's going on?! Where did that witch come from?!

Edward – That is what used to be Winry Rockbell.

Edward glanced back at Riza as he continued to lead her away.

Edward – You saw it happen yourself, didn't you?

Riza – We're running away?

Edward – If you want to fight it, then drop the body and go kill it now. Does that sound good to you?

Riza grimaced.

Riza – Of course not!

Edward – Exactly. If you try to fight and carry her at the same time, it will only get us both killed. That's why we're leaving.

Riza narrowed her eyes dangerously but she continued to follow Edward as they came to the exit of the barrier. Once they back at the train station, Riza laid Winry down and Edward looked behind him, watching the labyrinth disappear to make sure that they were safe.

* * *

Not too long afterwards, Alphonse was shown walking sadly down the train tracks as he searched for Winry. Once he heard more footsteps, he looked up to see Riza and Edward walking towards him; both of them were in their regular clothes. Alphonse's eyes then widened with shock once he saw Winry's limp body being carried by Riza. Her bangs were only slightly shadowing over her eyes, but she looked upset and confused, Edward's eyes however were completely covered by his bangs.

Alphonse – Winry?

Alphonse ran towards Riza and Edward as worry began to quickly fill his expression. Riza glanced to the side; she couldn't bear to see Alphonse's face now that he saw Winry.

Alphonse – Winry! What happened to her?!

Edward looked down sadly and Alphonse turned to him.

Alphonse – Edward, where's her Soul Timer? Is it lost?!

Edward – No…

Edward was a bit hesitant to answer, but then he looked up to the sky, not wanting to see Alphonse's face either.

Edward – Her Soul Timer transformed into a set of Grief Gears… and they hatched a new witch.

Alphonse and Riza's eyes widened in shock and horror. Alphonse then fell to his knees, but his eyes were still wide with shock.

Alphonse – N-no way. You're… not serious, right?

Edward – It's the truth. That is the final secret of the Soul Timers.

Edward held out his Soul Timer and opened it. The inside was glowing bright golden light and the big needle was pointing straight at the number two.

Edward – When these watches become tainted completely black, and the counting needle lands back on zero after completing an entire clockwise rotation, they change into Grief Gears… and we are reborn as wraiths and witches. That is the inescapable fate of all who become magical contractors.

Riza looked at Edward in shock. Alphonse managed to stand up and step closer to Edward and Riza.

Alphonse – No way. Inescapable fate? You mean that all magical contractors are destined to become that… and there's nothing you can do about it?!

Edward remained silent and looked at Alphonse sadly as a train passed by without attracting their attention. Alphonse then fell to his knees again as tears began welling up in his eyes.

Alphonse – But… that can't be. Winry wanted to protect people from wraiths and witches. She wanted to fight for the people she loved. That's why she became a magical contractor. So how could she…?

Edward – It's because she had finally suffered the equivalent amount of despair to the hope she had wished for. Now that she's a witch, for all the people she has saved, she will curse just as many.

There was silence for a while until Riza put Winry's body down in front of Alphonse. Then she quickly turned to Edward, glaring angrily at him as she created her lance from her Soul Timer and pointed it straight at his neck, startling him a little.

Riza – What is it with you?! Are you really trying to sound smart right now?! Should we be impressed that you know so much?!

Edward looked down a little. Riza's eyes began filling up with tears as she continued to glare at him.

Riza – How can you stand there and say those things as if it was something we should have naturally seen coming?! We didn't choose to risk our lives fighting wraiths and witches so we would become them! We wished for this power to…

Riza then looked down at Alphonse, who was holding Winry's body as he cried into it.

Riza – To do what we desired to use it for…!

Edward closed his eyes.

Edward – As magical contractors… we must continue to fight no matter what stands in our way. We need to stand up and walk… keep moving forward… even if we start to destroy ourselves with our own knowledge and actions.

Edward then looked down at Alphonse.

Edward – Do you understand now? This is what this thing you so wanted to become… is truly like.

Alphonse looked up at Edward as tears continued to roll down his face, then he looked back down at Winry.

Edward – I'm sorry I couldn't help her anymore than she could have been saved. But, if you want to do her one final favor… then forget about making the contract once and for all.

Edward then turned towards Riza again.

Edward – You're the one who brought along her body, so you're responsible for it.

Edward pushed away Riza's lance, which then reverted back into her Soul Timer.

Edward – Be careful not to be seen with it. If you make one wrong move, you'll run into trouble later.

Riza kept looking at Edward shockingly.

Riza – You're actually concerned about what may happen if I'm seen carrying a corpse? We're magical contractors! How can you still call yourself human when you already know that much?!

Edward then looked at Riza angrily.

Edward – Are you really blind enough to let yourself be deceived like this?!

Riza then looked at Edward surprisingly.

Edward – I won't deny that wraiths and witches aren't human… but did you actually feel any less human when you first became a magical contractor? Even with your soul outside of your body… your feelings are still intact… and you can still feel the breeze in the wind. Can zombies feel that breeze?

Riza was silent but then she turned her head away from Edward and stared at the ground. He then turned around and closed his eyes.

Edward – Whatever. Call yourself what you like. But if you're willing to reject your own humanity because you believe it's not there… then what more do you have to live for?

Riza looked back at Edward shockingly and watched him as he walked away.

* * *

Back at Alphonse's house, he was in his room, sitting on his bed in his sleeping clothes, curled up and hugging his knees while letting his head lie on them sadly. Kyubey's silhouette then appeared behind the shades covering Alphonse's window.

Kyubey – (Can I come in? I'd like to talk with you.)

Alphonse didn't move.

Alphonse – So you really are alive.

Kyubey then was shown sitting on one of Alphonse's bookshelves.

Alphonse – Is what Edward said really true?

Kyubey – True enough that I can't protest it.

Alphonse looked up just a slight bit, his eyes were shown and they didn't contain any emotion except for sadness and betrayal.

Alphonse – So you've been turning us into magical contractors just so we'll become wraiths and witches?

Kyubey – Please don't misunderstand. We don't do this out of ill will toward the human race. Everything we've done is for the sake of prolonging the life of the universe. Alphonse, do you know what the word "entropy" means?

Alphonse was silent.

Kyubey – To give a simple example… the amount of heat energy a bonfire gives off… is not equal to the energy it took to grow the wood it's made of. In short, when energy changes form, some of it gets lost. As a result, the amount of usable energy in the universe is decreasing. So we began searching… for a form of energy that wasn't bound by the laws of thermodynamics. And what we found… was the power of the magical contractors.

Alphonse looked up a little but his expression still didn't change.

Alphonse – What are you really?

Kyubey – Our civilization created technology… that could convert the emotions of a sentient life form into raw energy. Unfortunately… Our species do not possess the capacity to experience emotion. So we studied various species throughout the universe… until, finally, we found you humans. With the size of your population and the rate of reproduction… the amount of emotional energy produced by a single human… is greater than the amount used between its birth and growth. Human souls truly are the energy source that could counter entropy! And the most effective of all are boys and girls in the second stage of development… or even humans in different stages who still experience the greatest fluctuations between hope and despair. In the moment when your Soul Timers flare out and turn into Grief Gears, enormous energy is created. It is the job of us Incubators to collect that energy.

Alphonse's expression still didn't change, but his heart was hurting even more from every word Kyubey said.

Alphonse – Is that what we are to you, then? Just disposable energy supplies? Are you saying we should just die for you?

Kyubey – Do you know how many civilizations fill this universe, and how much energy they use in a single moment? And someday, even you humans will be able to leave your planet and come join all of us. When that day comes, you wouldn't want to find the universe empty and desolate, would you? If you look at it in the long run, this should be a good deal for your benefit as well.

Alphonse raised his head up a bit higher and his eyes began to fill with a bit of anger.

Alphonse – So you're saying it's like equivalent exchange? Don't be ridiculous…! How can you say it was okay for Mustang-san to die and Winry to suffer like that… just because of some crazy reason like that?! How do you call that a good deal?! It's too cruel!

Kyubey – But we always ask and receive your consent before making the contract. Doesn't that alone show our good will?

Alphonse's eyes widened with even more anger.

Alphonse – You do it by tricking all of us!

Kyubey – We aren't able to comprehend what you mean by "tricking." Why is it that when humans regret a decision based on a misunderstanding… they feel resentment toward the other party?

Alphonse calmed down a little and lowered his head again.

Alphonse – How can you say all of that? I don't understand you at all.

Kyubey – It's we who've had such a hard time… understanding humans and your values system. With a current population of 6.9 billion… that is increasing by a rate of 10 per very 4 seconds… why should you care so much about the loss of a tiny handful?

Alphonse – Edward was right about you. If that's how you think, then you really are our enemy.

Alphonse's voice contained venom as he spoke.

Kyubey – Despite that, I did come here to try to explain ourselves to you. I was hoping you'd understand… what incredible good your sacrifices have done for this universe. But I guess not.

Alphonse looked up once more and glared at Kyubey.

Alphonse – Of course not.

Kyubey appeared outside, behind the window shades again.

Kyubey – Alphonse, I still believe that one day, you will become the greatest of all magical contractors, and then the wickedest of all wraiths. When that happens, we will surely obtain an incomparable amount of energy. So if you ever feel like dying for the sake of the universe, please call me anytime. I'll be waiting for you!

Kyubey then jumped backwards and disappeared. Once he was gone, Alphonse buried his head into his arms and cried.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the downtown hotel Riza was staying at, her open Soul Timer was shown. The inside began to glow and her magic circle appeared underneath Winry's body, which was lying down on a bed. Kyubey watched from behind Riza as he viewed her concentrating her magic on Winry.

Kyubey – What do you hope to achieve, expending so much energy… to keep that body fresh?

Riza put away her Soul Timer once she used enough magic to preserve Winry's body longer, then she walked over to a chair in front of Kyubey and sat down to face him.

Riza – Is there a way to get her Soul Timer back?

Kyubey – None, as far as I know anyway.

Riza looked intrigued.

Riza – So there are some things even you don't know.

Kyubey – The existence of magical contractors defies logic as it is. So I wouldn't be surprised no matter what kinds of impossible feats… you manage to accomplish.

Riza – Then it is possible?

Kyubey – There's no precedent for it. That's why I don't know how it might be done. Unfortunately, I can't offer any guidance this time.

Riza and Kyubey stared at each other for a while before Riza closed her eyes and broke the silence.

Riza – That's fine with me.

Riza sat up and scowled a little, her eyes were still closed.

Riza – This may be the last time I'll come to you for advice anyway.

Riza then walked away from Kyubey. The next morning, Alphonse and May were shown walking to school together.

May – What's the matter, Alphonse-sama? You're looking a bit unwell this morning.

Alphonse – I'm all right, May. I just didn't get enough sleep last night.

May – But it looks as if Winry is staying home again today.

Alphonse looked down sadly once May mentioned Winry.

May – Perhaps we should go visit her after school to make sure she's all right. I'm worried about her. I heard that her mom and Hughes-san left for a business trip yesterday. She must be all by herself right now.

Alphonse – May… There's something-

Riza – (I'm surprised.)

Alphonse stopped abruptly once he heard Riza speak to him through telepathy.

Riza – (After all that happened yesterday, I didn't think you would still have the strength to go to school.)

Alphonse looked around while May looked at him confusedly. Riza was shown standing on the roof of a nearby building, watching Alphonse and May. Alphonse walked over to the side of the stone pavement once he saw Riza.

May – Alphonse-sama?

Riza – (I need to talk to you. Will you come with me?)

Alphonse narrowed his eyes in determination, then he turned back to May.

Alphonse – I'm sorry, May… I think I'm going to stay home today too.

Alphonse then turned around and ran back down the path to go meet up with Riza.

May – What? Alphonse-sama, wait!

* * *

Alphonse soon arrived in a small neighborhood of the city, where Riza was waiting for him.

Alphonse – So… What did you want to talk about?

Riza – Don't you want to save Winry Rockbell?

Alphonse looked at Riza surprisingly.

Alphonse – Do you know a way to save her?

Riza – Not entirely. But if there weren't any way, would you really just go and leave her like that?

Alphonse looked down sadly again. Riza then closed her eyes and smiled sympathetically.

Riza – Forgive me, I didn't mean it like that. I may sound like an idiot for saying this, but… Until we know for sure whether she can be saved or not… I don't intend on giving up.

Alphonse stared surprisingly at Riza, especially since he noticed the determination in her eyes.

Riza – I know that she's a witch now, but she may at least remember the voices of her friends. That's why, if you call out to her, her memories of being human might come back to her. And the only one who's capable of doing that… is probably you. After all… you are her best friend, right?

Alphonse looked stunned.

Alphonse – That's right. We've been really close friends ever since we were little.

Alphonse looked down slightly and thought for a moment, then he looked back up at Riza.

Alphonse – Do you really think it'll work?

Riza – I'm not sure.

Alphonse looked at Riza surprisingly once she started smiling.

Riza – But that's why I want to try it.

Riza then held out her Soul Timer, which was closed, so her magic circle imprinted on the top of the watch was shown.

Riza – Since she's still a newborn… Perhaps if I slice that witch in half, instead of Grief Gears, Winry's Soul Timer will fall out.

Riza giggled.

Riza – That would certainly be something. It would be like one of those stories where love and courage triumph in the end.

Alphonse kept gazing surprisingly at Riza.

Riza – The truth is… Part of the reason why I became a magical contractor in the first place… was because I used to love stories like that, even when I was a child. I had forgotten that. Winry was the one who reminded me again. Probably because every time I saw her fight… I would see myself as well.

Alphonse – So, you were just like her?

Riza – Yes.

Alphonse continued to stare at Riza, who then narrowed her eyes again and frowned.

Riza – Of course, I won't force you if you don't want to come. You should already know that this is going to be very dangerous. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you either.

Alphonse looked at Riza determinedly and shook his head.

Alphonse – No, I'll come. I want to help.

Alphonse then held out his hand to Riza and smiled at her.

Alphonse – We've never been formally introduced. I'm Alphonse Elric.

Riza looked at Alphonse surprisingly, then she smiled.

Riza – You're a pretty strange kid yourself. I thought there was something about you two that seemed similar…

Alphonse – Huh?

Riza – Never mind. I'm Riza Hawkeye. Pleased to meet you, Alphonse-kun.

Riza took Alphonse's hand and shook it.

* * *

Meanwhile at school, Edward noticed how both Winry and Alphonse's desks were empty, which made him worry.

Edward – I'm sorry. I'm not feeling very well. Could I go to the Nurse's Office?

Math Teacher – Hm? Who's the Nurse's Aide in this class?

The girl at the board turned to the teacher.

Girl at The Board – Elric-san is, but he's not here today.

Math Teacher – In that case, let's have the Class President escort-

Before the teacher could finish his sentence, Edward was already walking out of the classroom and to everyone's surprise, in the complete opposite direction of the Nurse's Office. It was now sunset and Alphonse and Riza were searching the city to find Winry's witch form, Elicia.

Alphonse – Do you think Edward would help us? Maybe we should have called him.

Riza – That might not be such a good idea. I don't think he would be against the idea… but I doubt he would allow it if he knew you were coming.

Alphonse – That's true. Edward has been looking out for Winry and I ever since he transferred, but I never knew why.

Riza – I've noticed it as well. Do you still not know?

Alphonse – Well… not exactly. I guess you could say it's like I get the feeling that I've met him before. But it was a really long time ago.

Riza – Really?

Alphonse – How did you two become partners anyway?

Riza was shown holding out her now open Soul Timer, which was glowing slightly.

Riza – You could say it's like we have common goals. We teamed up in order to defeat enemies we couldn't take on alone.

Alphonse – Like what?

Riza – In a few days from now, Walpurgisnacht will come to this city.

Alphonse – Walpurgisnacht?

Riza – It's an insanely huge and powerful witch. Despite our strength, probably neither of us could beat it alone. That's why we decided to team up. That's as far as our alliance goes.

Alphonse – I see.

Once Riza and Alphonse came to a building under construction, Riza's Soul Timer began glowing even more.

Riza – This is it.

Riza broke through the door, then she and Alphonse walked inside. Noticing that the reaction was stronger above them, Riza and Alphonse began walking up the stairs until they reached the floor her Soul Timer was reacting to the most.

Alphonse – Are you sure it's really Winry? Not some other witch?

Riza – The magic patterns are exactly the same as yesterday. It's definitely her.

Riza's Soul Timer was shown again, glowing brighter than ever and Winry's magic circle was hovering over it, except for it was black like a wraith or a witch's magic circle normally was.

As Riza and Alphonse kept walking, they soon stopped once they came to a wall. Riza then transformed into her magical contractor outfit and looked at Alphonse.

Riza – Before we go in, I need to ask you one more time. Are you sure you want to come?

Alphonse – Yes, although I've actually gotten used to this by now. Although… all I ever did was trail along behind others. I've never been able to do anything except support… But, I still want to come.

Riza smiled again.

Riza – You're brave. I'll give you that.

Alphonse smiled back. Riza then sliced the wall with her lance to reveal the entrance to the labyrinth, which opened up and swallowed her and Alphonse.

* * *

Once they were inside, they walked through the labyrinth slowly so they wouldn't stimulate Elicia. The first layer of the labyrinth looked like a garage, filled with all kinds of machine parts, tools, unfinished cars, and anything else a mechanic could work on.

Alphonse – Um, Hawkeye-san?

Riza – What is it?

Alphonse – You said I'm brave, but… Ever since I learned about the world of magical contractors, I've always made others do the fighting and I never had the courage to do it myself. Doesn't that make me a coward?

Riza – Why would you even want to become a magical contractor?

Alphonse – Well…

Riza stopped abruptly and turned around to face Alphonse.

Riza – Don't underestimate it–this isn't a job just anyone can do. If you get to eat good food every day and live a happy life with your family… why would you give it all up to become a magical contractor on a whim like that? I'd never allow that to happen. I would shoot some sense into anyone who even thinks of doing that.

Alphonse was a little taken back from Riza's words, then he looked down slightly.

Riza – Only people who have no other choice but to put their lives in danger should do that. Anyone else who does is just playing around and acting like this is some kind of game. It's beyond moronic.

Alphonse – I wonder… I think that there are people out there who put their lives on the line even if they do have a choice… because they have something that's precious enough to them to be worth protecting to the very end.

Riza smiled again.

Riza – I suppose that's true. Perhaps a time will come… when you too will have no choice but to risk your life and fight. But you should wait until then to think about it.

Alphonse looked up again and smiled.

Alphonse – Okay.

Riza and Alphonse kept walking until they reached another door, which they both opened up together. This room looked like it was a hallway of Winry's memories when she was human, which shocked both Riza and Alphonse.

Alphonse – Are these… Winry's memories?!

Riza – Then, I was probably right! If she still remembers, then we might be able to save her after all! Let's keep going!

Alphonse – Right!

The two kept walking.

Alphonse – So, Hawkeye-san why did you-

Suddenly the doors behind Riza and Alphonse closed, causing all the memories showing on the walls to stop playing and turn dark. Alphonse quickly turned around once the doors closed and Riza took a battle stance as she gazed ahead of herself.

Riza – She knows we're here! She's coming!

Alphonse took a fighting stance as well. He and Riza then appeared as if they were being brought further into the labyrinth by force. All the hallways swiftly passed by the two and the doors at the end of each hallway automatically opened for them until the last door they passed through led them to the center of the labyrinth.

* * *

The inside of the barrier looked half like a giant workshop and half like a demented surgery room; many different medical and mechanical supplies were placed all around the barrier and a bunch of origami crane familiars were flying throughout the entire area. Alphonse looked up in horror while Riza looked up in determination as they both viewed Elicia, sitting right in front of them on a surgery chair. The giant witch began to roar once she saw Riza and Alphonse, however she continued to fold origami without hesitation.

Riza – Are you ready? Do it just like we planned.

Alphonse – Right.

Alphonse took a step closer to Elicia as he began to call out to her.

Alphonse – Winry? It's me, Alphonse. I don't know if you can hear me or if you even recognize my voice… but if you can, please listen!

Elicia didn't seem to hear Alphonse. Just then, she raised her hand into the air and summoned a bunch of origami crane familiars to fly above her. Alphonse began to feel nervous as Elicia commanded the familiars to charge at him. Riza then ran in front of Alphonse as he moved back.

Riza – Don't be scared. Keep calling to her!

Riza quickly created one of her latticework fences to protect Alphonse. The familiars slammed into the fence with lots of force as they tried to attack him, however they were unable to crack Riza's indestructible barrier.

Alphonse – Winry, stop!

Riza summoned her lance and took a battle stance again as Elicia commanded more of her familiars to charge at her.

Alphonse – Please, remember! You never wanted to hurt anyone! You were a creative, smart, and kind girl! You always wanted to help the people you cared about! Please, Winry, return to your old self!

Riza used her lance to block and evade every familiar that came at her, but it was starting to become quite difficult even for her. One familiar charged at her much more quickly than the others and forced Riza to hold her ground as she blocked it.

Riza – There's a limit to how stubborn you should be… You are one of the few people I've met who has that problem… Winry!

As Riza finally pushed away the familiar she was holding off, the needle from the syringe the familiar was carrying managed to stratch her arm just a little. Elicia then created a bunch of small origami missiles and sent them hovering over Riza's head, shocking her. Riza tried to move out of the way as Elicia sent the missiles down on her, however her body refused to move, causing the missiles to make a direct hit. Once the smoke cleared, Riza's latticework barrier disappeared and Alphonse grew very worried once he saw her.

Alphonse – Hawkeye-san!

Riza was still standing but just barely, her body had a few cuts, and she was using her lance to support her. She managed to move her body again just a little and she smiled, although she was sweating and panting as well.

Riza – I'm fine. This is nothing compared to what I've been through before.

Alphonse – But…!

Riza – That liquid in those syringes must be some kind of paralysis substance… That's why my body's not obeying its commands.

Elicia then began to summon more of her familiars and Riza tried standing up straight again so she could keep fighting, even though she was still struggling to move. Alphonse watched her with complete worry.

Riza – I wasn't injected with much of it… So I should still be okay. Just keep calling out… to Winry.

Riza created another latticework fence to protect Alphonse and she began fighting again while he kept trying to reach Winry.

Alphonse – Stop! Stop, Winry! Don't you recognize us?! We're your friends!

More familiars continued to strike Riza, who wasn't given the chance to avoid or block them this time because of the paralysis effects.

Riza – (I see… Is this payback? That's right… when we first met we were trying to kill each then too.)

As Riza let her thoughts wander while Elicia continued to attack her, Alphonse was shown clutching her latticework fence as he kept trying to call out to Winry. More memories began to show on the walls of Elicia's barrier of when Riza and Winry first fought each other and every other experience they had together after that.

Riza – (I thought you'd be an amateur. But no matter how many times I struck you down, you always kept standing back up. You were persistent and stubborn, yet understanding and extremely kind… kind of like Mustang. I wonder if you're mad. Is it too hard to let it all go right now? I understand. But once you've let it all out, come back. You have people who are waiting for you.)

Riza was then shown to be leaning on her lance. Her body was heavily injured and lots of blood was seeping down her right leg onto the floor. Just then, one of Elicia's origami missiles came charging at Riza and struck her, sending her flying backwards and crashing into her latticework fence, which then disappeared. Alphonse raced over to her side once he saw how hurt she was, but then he saw Elicia lean forward and attempt to grab either him or Riza with one of her giant metal hands. Alphonse ran in front of Riza and spread his arms out to protect her; Riza then widened her eyes in shock once she saw Elicia grab Alphonse and attempt to squeeze the life out of him.

Alphonse – Winry… P-Please…

Riza continued to watch in horror as Elicia continued to squeeze Alphonse. She then narrowed her eyes dangerously in complete anger and she picked up her lance.

Riza – Winry!

Riza jumped up and sliced Elicia's hand off to free Alphonse; she continued to stare angrily at the witch.

Riza – Didn't you tell me you believed? That you could use this power to make people happy? Don't you remember when I told you I used to believe the same thing? I remember those feelings now! So come to your senses!

Once Elicia's sliced hand fell on the floor, it released Alphonse, causing him to tumble away since he lost consciousness. Elicia then created a large origami sword and she used it to slice the ground, causing the entire floor to crumble and break apart. As she, Riza, and Alphonse began to fall into a lower layer of the barrier's center, Riza began to pray, something she hadn't done in a long time.

Riza – I beg of you, God… If this is what's become of the life I've lived… then please, let me have a happy dream just once.

Edward then suddenly appeared in his magical contractor clothes, landing on the ground while carrying an unconscious Alphonse in his arms. Once he softly landed, he leaned down to set Alphonse on the ground as he looked at him with relief. Riza's lance then came crashing down to the ground as it landed behind Edward, who sharply turned around at the sound of the clang while he was still holding Alphonse. Edward gasped in shock once he saw Riza.

Edward – Hawkeye!

Riza's lance disappeared and she was shown to be sitting on the ground, badly injured, but she still managed to stand up while holding her right arm.

Riza – So… you really did come too, Edward-kun.

Edward looked at Riza worriedly.

Edward – You-

Riza – Take care of him for me… I was an idiot for dragging him into this.

Edward – Never mind about that. We have to get out of here, quick!

Riza – You two go. There's something I have to do here.

Edward looked shocked and confused.

Edward – What? But-

Edward's eyes suddenly widened with horror.

Edward – No! Don't even think about it! I know what you're planning!

Riza turned her head around to face Edward and she smiled.

Riza – So you even know about my "last resort", huh?

Edward nodded.

Riza – That isn't too surprising by now. But, it's the only option I have left at this moment.

Edward – No! Don't do it! First, Mustang… then, Winry… I don't want to lose you too!

Riza smiled even more.

Riza – So that's how it is. Now I get it. You were fighting for all of us the entire time, weren't you?

Edward didn't say anything but he looked down sadly.

Riza – I see. I think I now know why you didn't come to help us even though you already knew about our silly plan and that it wouldn't work.

Edward looked up in surprise.

Riza – You were planning to go after this witch to destroy her yourself, weren't you?

Edward widened his eyes in shock, indicating that Riza was right.

Riza – Don't worry. I already know why you were going to do it, too. It's because… you love Winry, don't you?

Edward continued to stare surprisingly at Riza but then he looked down at the floor sadly again.

Edward – Yeah.

Riza – And Alphonse-kun… I can also tell that he's a very precious person to you too, isn't he?

Edward – Yeah.

Riza – That's why you need to go.

Edward lifted his head up again and tried to protest but Riza cut him off.

Riza – The adults are supposed to guide and protect the children. I won't let any more get hurt on my watch. Besides, you said you can't fight and carry him at the same time, or it will only get us all killed, right? It's okay. You were right.

Riza turned around again and created another latticework barrier, separating herself from Edward and Alphonse.

Riza – You need to focus… on the one thing that means the most to you, and protect it to the end.

Edward watched Riza with both shock and sadness before he glanced down at Alphonse. Riza then giggled a little.

Riza – Now that I think about it… That's what I thought I was doing all this time.

Riza reached up and removed her hair clip, letting her hair fall down again. Then she reached into her pocket and took out Winry's wrench, which she kept ever since she found it in the labyrinth when Winry transformed into Elicia. Riza held the wrench between both of her hands, kneeled down, and closed her eyes, making it look like she was praying.

Riza – Go, Edward-kun. I'll take care of her this time.

Magic began rising from Riza where she stood and soon a bunch of giant lances appeared out of the ground, surrounding her and Elicia. Edward looked at Riza one last time before he shut his eyes in frustration and sadness as he ran off with Alphonse in his arms. A giant lance then appeared underneath Riza and lifted her into the air. The lance was already separated into it's various parts and the tip opened up into two halves as it pointed straight at Elicia while Riza continued to kneel on the top bar, staring straight at the witch.

Riza – Don't worry, Winry. I know you don't want to be alone. Just like Mustang, right? It's all right. I'll be here with you… Winry. I hope I can still make up for everything I did… to both you… and Roy.

Riza kissed her open Soul Timer, which she clipped to Winry's wrench with her hair barrette, then she released it into the air. The purple Soul Timer was still light purple on the inside and the big needle was centered on the number three. Riza then summoned her lance again and she jumped onto a platform made up of her magic circle as it formed underneath her feet. Riza twirled her lance around and pointed it down, creating a flare of magic centered at the tip as she waited for the wrench bonded to her Soul Timer to meet at it. Once it did, light began to cloud her and Elicia's vision, but just before it completely did, Riza managed to give one last smile as she continued to stare at Elicia. Her Soul Timer was then shown to be cracking and it soon shattered along with Winry's wrench. Elicia and Riza along with her cage of lances were shown and a bright purple light was erupting from where Riza was, which soon exploded, destroying everything in it's path.

Edward was then shown walking by the wall where the entrance to the labyrinth previously was while holding Alphonse. He stopped and looked at the wall sadly, knowing that the labyrinth disappeared, taking both Elicia and Riza with it.

Edward – Hawkeye…

* * *

Later on that evening, a graveyard was shown. There were a bunch of angel statues, gravestones, and crosses. But, there were also three small handmade looking graves sitting next to each other in the dirt. One grave said "Roy Mustang", another said "Winry Rockbell", and the last one said "Riza Hawkeye". Edward was then shown still in his magical contractor clothes, standing sadly in front of the three graves he obviously made himself, mourning the three fallen magical contractors as the wind blew. He then looked over to his right side and glared once he saw Kyubey sitting on a nearby gravestone watching him. Edward turned towards the incubator to completely face him.

Edward – I want to know the truth. Was there really any chance for Riza Hawkeye to save Winry Rockbell?

Kyubey – Of course not. She should have known that was impossible.

Edward – Then why didn't you stop her?

Kyubey – Naturally, I would have stopped her if her death had been needless. But getting her out of the picture served a very important purpose. Because now, there is no one left but you to battle Wulpurgisnacht. And of course, you stand no chance of beating her alone. In order to protect this city, there is no choice but for Alphonse to become a magical contractor.

Edward glared at Kyubey even more strongly and more fire burned in his eyes as his determination rose again.

Edward – I won't let that happen. I swear it!

The graveyard shifted away and a grey sky filled with crows was shown next. Edward's silhouette was then shown at a far distance walking in the middle of nowhere towards some dark trees. His silhouette kept appearing even closer as he continued to walk past the dark and leafless trees. Edward was then completely shown up close, holding his armored arm out and clasping it into a fist as he stared at it determinedly. He continued on his way through the trees.

* * *

**Well, there you go! I hope the wait for this chapter was worth it!**

**(sobbing) I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY I MADE THEM ALL DIE! But, (sniff) it had to be done, because now things are finally starting to come together! I'll get the next chapter out as fast as I can. I can't be very sure how soon or how long it will be considering I have exams coming up, but I promise I won't give up.**

**See you in the next chapter and tell me what you think of this one! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AAAANNNNNDDDDDD… NOW! HERE IT IS! THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!**

**I cannot believe that I have come so far with this, and I would like to say thank you to all the viewers who have read and supported my story up until now. I would also like to give special thanks to ZwesomeRachel for your FANTASTIC fan art drawings of all the characters magical contractors from my story in their outfits. You made me SOOOOO HAPPY and I would love to see even more drawings or even comics of my story you may wish to create. Though if you don't mind me giving some feedback, Al's hair doesn't grow into a long ponytail when he transforms, that doesn't happen until he becomes a god. But I'm not criticizing your work, I do LOVE it. Just wanted to point that out. Either way, THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**And for all you current and future readers, I hope you find this chapter extremely enjoyable, so please review and state your opinions.**

**Well, without further ado… THE BACKSTORY CHAPTER!**

* * *

A circle that had the same designs as the opening compartment of Edward's armored arm was shown rotating, counting up from 1 to 10. Once the circle counted to ten, morning light was shown leaking through a bunch of trees. Three kids were then shown running to school together and they were revealed to be Alphonse, Winry, and May. They were running, talking, and laughing all the way to school together just like how they always did.

Once at school, the bell for homeroom rang and all the kids in the classroom flinched after they heard Izumi slam her bare fist straight onto her teacher's desk, indicating that she was in a bad mood.

Izumi – Now everyone! You all had better be paying attention because I have something very important to discuss with all of you today! When seasoning a sunny side-up egg, should you use soy sauce or salt?! Answer me Nakazawa!

Izumi pointed her finger at one of the boys in the class and looked at him with a death glare. Not to mention her voice was already very powerful and scary sounding.

Nakazawa – Huh?! U-um, well–Th-they can be seasoned either way, can't they?

Izumi – Precisely! They can be seasoned either way! That is exactly why for a man to judge a woman's attractiveness by the way she seasons her eggs is the biggest mistake he could ever wish to make!

Izumi slammed her fist on the desk again. She hit the desk so hard that she actually made a cracked dent in it, which scared the rest of the class.

Izumi – That being said… girls–Don't ever think about dating men who are too wimpy to eat fried eggs without salt.

Winry looked behind her and whispered to Alphonse.

Winry – I guess it didn't work out again.

Alphonse – I guess not. But I still feel sorry for the guy. Sensei must have at least put him in the hospital if she didn't kill him.

Izumi – And boys–You'd better not grow up to become some petty morons who can't do anything but fuss over how your eggs are seasoned!

Izumi huffed, then her anger seemed to melt away and she appeared much calmer.

Izumi – With that out of the way, let's welcome our new transfer student.

Winry – Shouldn't that have come first?

Winry made sure to whisper very quietly to make sure Izumi didn't hear her, since she might kill her if she did. May then looked over at Alphonse, who seemed to be in a very good mood.

May – You seem to be very cheerful today, Alphonse-sama. Do you know something about the transfer student?

Alphonse smiled happily at May.

Alphonse – Well, actually…

Winry looked back at Alphonse and waved her hands in front of him while smiling happily herself.

Winry – No, no, Al. Don't tell her. She'll find out real soon.

Alphonse – Okay, fine.

May looked at her friends confusedly.

May – Huh? What's going on, you two?

Izumi – Then Elric, come on in.

All the students in the classroom gasped in shock and surprise once they heard Izumi say the name "Elric". May almost jumped out of her seat herself.

May – Wait! Did she say, Elric?!

Alphonse and Winry were the only ones who were calm and they smiled even more happily once they saw Edward walk into the classroom. Many of the students were still surprised that he had the same last name as Alphonse and some of the others were commenting on his long hair and about how handsome he looked. But when a few other kids commented about how short Edward was, he quickly turned his head to the side to give those kids a death glare, which scared almost the entire classroom half to death. Edward's eyes turned red and were glaring daggers as his temper rose. He then unleashed his anger with a really powerful voice towards all his new classmates.

Edward – WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE HIM IF HE WAS THE SIZE OF A DISCARDED PENNY LYING ON THE STREET BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO OWNED IT IS TOO DUMB TO NOTICE THAT HE HAD A HOLE IN THE POCKET WHERE THE PENNY FELL OUT OF?!

While all the other students were scared out of their minds, Alphonse and Winry, who were also a little startled, hung their heads down hopelessly. Just then, Izumi stepped behind Edward, causing him to turn around and shrink in fear once he saw how scary she looked.

Izumi – I won't have any trouble brewing around in my classroom! Understand, EDWARD ELRIC?!

Edward shrunk down even more.

Edward – Y-yes, Sensei.

Once Izumi, Edward, and all the other students calmed down, Edward got to the front of the classroom and stood proudly in front of everyone.

Izumi – Now, please introduce yourself.

Edward – I'm Edward Elric. Nice to meet you all.

As Izumi finished writing Edward's name on the board, one student raised her hand for him.

Random Girl – Um, you said, "Elric". Then are you by any chance related to Alphonse Elric-san?

Alphonse then stood up from his seat.

Alphonse – That's right. He's my older brother.

All the other kids in the classroom gasped in shock. Edward then waved to Alphonse.

Edward – Hey, Al! Long time no see!

Alphonse – Yeah!

Izumi – All right, settle down. You'll all get a chance to talk during free period.

Izumi then turned back to Edward.

Izumi – For now, take your seat. There's a free desk next to Nakazawa.

* * *

Once the break came, a bunch of girls and boys from the class crowded around Edward to ask him questions.

Random Girl – So, Elric-kun… What school did you come from?

Edward – A special all-boys school in Tokyo.

Another Random Girl – Did you do any club activities at your old school? How about sports? Or cultural activities?

Edward – I wasn't in any clubs.

Random Boy – Man, your hair is so long. Isn't it a hassle to deal with everyday?

Edward – Kind of. But, I've gotten used to it.

Even though Edward was acting natural around his classmates, he was starting to get a bit freaked out by everyone pressuring him with all the questions they were asking.

Edward – (Man, what's the deal? It's like they've never seen a transfer student before in their lives. Someone please save me before I die from all these boring questions!)

Winry – Hey, hey! Come on, everyone!

Edward suddenly looked up in surprise to see Winry and Alphonse standing in front of his desk.

Winry – You guys are putting too much pressure on Ed. Give him some space.

Edward – Winry!

Alphonse – If you all don't mind, could we have some time with my brother by ourselves for a while?

Random Girl – Oh, okay.

Another Random Girl – We'll talk again later, Elric-kun!

The girls and the boys surrounding Edward left, some of them complaining how they wanted to talk to him some more. Edward then let out a sigh of relief and looked towards Winry and Alphonse.

Edward – Thanks, guys. I swear I didn't think they would ever stop.

Winry and Alphonse laughed a little.

Alphonse – Sorry about that, Nii-san. They're just excited because our school doesn't get many transfer students.

Edward – I knew it.

Winry – I wouldn't relax just yet, Ed. After all, you already managed to capture the attention of everyone in our class. I don't think it will be long before someone forms a fan club for you.

Alphonse – You think so?

Winry – Yeah, I mean Ed's smart, talented, and good-looking. Who wouldn't be interested in him?

Edward smirked craftily.

Edward – What's this, Winry… You're being awfully nice aren't you?

Winry – What do you mean?! I'm always nice! Now that I think about it, I've been meaning to point out that you grew your hair out, Ed.

Edward – Well, yeah. I know it doesn't look very manly…

Alphonse – No, I think it looks good, Nii-san.

Winry then grinned at Edward.

Winry – And yet even after all these years, despite being able to get your hair so long, you're still the size of a bean.

Edward then looked enraged again as he sat straight up and slammed his hands on his desk.

Edward – Damn it, Winry! I'm not short!

Winry – Are too!

Edward – Crazy Gearhead!

Winry – Pipsqueak!

Alphonse hopelessly watched the two argue and continue to call each other names.

Alphonse – You haven't changed one bit, Nii-san…

Edward was putting all his pressure on his right hand since he was pointing at Winry with his left hand as their argument switched to his hatred of milk. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm and it gave out on him, causing him to nearly hit the floor if Winry didn't catch him in time.

Winry – Ed! Are you okay?

Edward – Y-yeah. Stupid arm…

Winry – That's right… Your limbs are still weak, aren't they? I'm sorry.

Edward smiled guiltily and put his hand behind his head.

Edward – Hey, it's fine. Don't worry about it.

Alphonse then gasped slightly.

Alphonse – Ah! That reminds me… Nii-san, you have to go to the Nurse's Office during break times to have your arm and leg checked.

Edward – Oh, right… I totally forgot about that…

Winry and Alphonse looked at Edward suspiciously since he was smiling guiltily, indicating that he was hiding something.

Winry – You didn't forget. You tried to skip going on purpose, didn't you?

Edward then turned his head away and pouted.

Edward – It's no big deal. I don't have to go to a stupid Nurse's Office everyday just because of a weak right arm and left leg.

Edward then got smacked on the head by Winry's wrench. She looked quite irritated as she glared at him.

Edward – What was that for, Winry?! Are you trying to kill me?!

Winry – You idiot! You know what happens when you overextend your limbs! Why are you always so stubborn?!

Alphonse looked a little annoyed at Edward as well.

Alphonse – She's right, Nii-san! You were reckless enough by learning martial arts with me from Sensei when we were little! Now that we've finally gotten to see each other again after all this time, do you really want to start off by making us worry so much?!

Edward looked a little taken back as he stared at his friends, then he glanced down.

Edward – No, sorry. I didn't mean to make you two worry.

Alphonse and Winry smiled hopelessly at Edward.

Edward – I'll go to the Nurse's Office now.

Winry – Do you know where it is?

Edward – Um… no.

Alphonse – Then how about I take you there? I'm the Nurse's Aide in our class, anyway.

Edward – Really? Thank you, Al.

Alphonse turned towards Winry.

Alphonse – Do you want to come too, Winry?

Winry shook her head.

Winry – No, it's all right. You two go ahead. This will give you both more time to catch up.

Alphonse – Oh, okay.

Winry left Edward and Alphonse by themselves. Soon, the two brothers began walking down the school halls together. Alphonse was leading up front with Edward following behind. As they passed through the hallways, Edward received many stares from all of the students from the other classes. Just like their classmates, many of the students were saying that he looked handsome but short as well, which resulted in Alphonse needing to hold him back in order to keep him from attacking the people that called him short.

Edward – I swear, if one more person calls me short again…

Alphonse – Come on, Nii-san. You should make a better impression since it's your first day and all.

Edward – Whatever. Anyway, how's Mom?

Alphonse – She's fine. She tries her hardest at her job and sometimes she overworks herself, but she's very happy. You have to make sure to come over some time to visit her, Nii-san.

Edward – I see. Then, the same goes for you with Dad.

Alphonse – How is Dad anyway?

Edward – He's good too. I'm so glad his company transferred to East City. Otherwise we probably wouldn't have moved back.

Alphonse – Yeah. I'm really happy it did too. Now we can see each other everyday again.

Edward – Yeah, but we can't just leave it there. We still have to find a way to get Mom and Dad to meet each other more often as well.

Alphonse – Of course. Even though Mom tries not to show it, she really misses Dad.

Edward – It's the same with him. But the two of them are too embarrassed to talk to each other in person; much less admit that they still love each other.

Alphonse – I know. I still can't believe Mom and Dad separated just because Dad accepted his company's offer for a better work opportunity in Tokyo.

Edward – I tell you, they're both hopeless morons. Do you know how much I still want to pound Dad in the face for leaving in the first place?

Alphonse – You wouldn't really pound him in the face though right, Nii-san?

Edward – Maybe…

Alphonse's expression grew nervous since Edward had an evil look on his face. The two brothers then turned the corner down the hall that led to the glass bridge hallway.

Alphonse – A-anyway… How do you like the school so far, Nii-san? I think it's great that you're in the same class as me and Winry.

Edward – Y-yeah, it's nice. I was also kind of surprised when I saw that Sensei was our homeroom teacher…

Alphonse noticed that Edward seemed nervous on his words.

Alphonse – Hey, what's wrong, Nii-san?

Edward – Huh? What are you talking about, Al? I'm fine.

Alphonse – Don't lie to me. I can always tell when something's bothering you. Just tell me what it is. You can trust me, Nii-san.

Edward held his right arm with his left hand and looked down for a moment, then he looked back up at Alphonse with a false smile.

Edward – I'm telling you Al, there's nothing wrong.

Alphonse looked at Edward in a way that let him know that he wasn't fooling anyone.

Edward – I mean it's great to see you and Winry again, since it's been four years since we've all been together. I'm just not used to attending such a big school filled with a bunch of crazy students watching me and asking me questions like I'm a hostage during an interrogation.

Alphonse giggled as he listened to his brother's sarcasm. Edward's cheeks instantly turned red from embarrassment.

Edward – What's so funny?! It's true!

Alphonse – I get it. You're nervous, Nii-san.

Edward – What?! No I'm not! I swear, this is why I didn't want to say anything…

Alphonse then turned around completely to directly face Edward, who stopped walking as well once Alphonse turned around. The two of them happened to stop once they were in the center of the glass bridge hallway.

Alphonse – Don't worry, Nii-san. I'm sure you'll be able to fit in. Winry and I have got your back too.

Edward stared at Alphonse for a while before he gave a true smile to him.

Edward – Thanks, Al.

* * *

Later on during math class, the teacher called up Edward to the board.

Math Teacher – All right, why don't you try solving this one?

Edward wrote down the answer, but instead of using his right hand, he was used his left, which made his writing look sloppy and unreadable, even though the answer was correct.

Math Teacher – Um… well… it's…

Edward read the teacher's expression loud and clear.

Edward – You can't read it, can you?

Math Teacher – N-no…

Edward looked a bit annoyed.

Edward – Then just have someone else solve it.

Edward erased his answer and went to sit back down. Once he did, he managed to overhear a small conversation about him going on between some of his classmates.

Random Girl – I heard that he's actually a prodigy in these subjects too. But his writing is so messy it can barely be understood.

Another Random Girl – That's because he's actually right-handed. I was told that his right arm and left leg are much weaker than the rest of his limbs and if he uses them too much, it could put a strain on his entire body.

Random Boy – Seriously? You'd think that with current medicine, they would find a way to cure something like that. I bet he's just faking it.

Edward glared angrily at the kids gossiping about him and then he turned his head away from them in irritation. Later on during P.E., the class was just finishing up their warm ups.

Class – One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…

The teacher then blew her whistle and gave the class a chance to catch their breath.

P.E. Teacher – Today we're going to do the running high jump: forward jump, scissor jump, belly roll, Fosbury-back flop. Try them all out, okay?

Class – Yes!

The teacher then looked over and saw that Edward was sitting on his knees and panting heavily. Alphonse and Winry were kneeling over him worriedly.

P.E. Teacher – Elric-kun, are you all right? You look terrible, are you feeling sick?

Edward – No… it's just…

P.E. Teacher – Oh! That's right, I was informed of your condition. You shouldn't push yourself so hard. You can just observe today, okay?

Edward – What? But… I'm fine… So-

Edward tried to stand up, but his legs gave out under him and he fell back down. Alphonse and Winry managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

Winry – She's right, Ed! You can't join the class in this condition!

Edward – But…

Alphonse – Nii-san, stop being stubborn. I know you want to participate, but you'll just hurt your body more if you don't take care of yourself. So please, just watch for today.

Edward was silent for a moment.

Edward – All right.

Alphonse and Winry helped Edward up and walked him over to the grass. The class then proceeded with their activities. Edward overheard more gossip coming from more of his classmates as he rested underneath the shade with a towel hanging over his head.

Random Boy – He could barely move just from doing warm-ups… That's so lame!

Another Random Boy – Well, you have to use both arms and legs in order to run and jump. Guess it can't he helped if he can't use one of each, huh?

Edward sighed depressingly as he let the words from his classmates sink into his head.

* * *

School had ended and it was sunset. Edward was then shown walking home across the bridge while looking down at the ground depressingly. He thought about what Alphonse told him earlier to try to cheer himself up.

_Alphonse__ – __I'm sure you'll be able to fit in._

Edward – (Fit in, huh? Like that's gonna happen anytime soon. The only thing I probably did was make a fool out of myself. Al and Winry are with me… but they've already spent much more time together and with other people. Somehow, I just feel like a total stranger.)

Edward continued to stare depressingly at the ground as he walked.

Edward – (I wonder… if it'll be this way… forever.)

As Edward kept walking, the ground suddenly began to change. Sinister, abstract art began designing the entire ground, but he didn't seem to notice.

Izabel – Then maybe it'd be better if you just died right now.

Edward began to believe in the words the mysterious voice was telling him as he let despair start to sink into his mind.

Edward – (Maybe it would be better to just die…)

Izabel – That's right. You should just die now…

Edward – (I should just… die…)

Edward closed his eyes, about to accept the suicidal thoughts running through his head. But then he quickly opened his eyes in shock and realization.

Edward – (Wait! Die?!)

Edward stopped walking and looked up in shock, his surroundings had completely changed. Along with the abstract art ground, the sky looked like a red version of _Starry Night_. It made him feel like he was actually inside a painting. Edward shook out of his shock and looked around curiously and cautiously.

Edward – What the… What is this place?!

Suddenly Edward heard something behind him, so he turned around sharply to see what looked like a Roman archway that had lots of sinister artistic designs appear in front of him. Runes were printed at the top of the archway saying, Izabel, The Artist Witch.

Edward – Wh-what the?! What the heck's going on?!

Suddenly, three familiars that looked like drawings of three different inhuman creatures appeared in front of Izabel and began to walk towards Edward, who began to back up in slight fear, as the familiars got closer. He then stood his ground and attempted to take a fighting stance.

Edward – H-hey! Stay back… Ah!

Edward fell down as soon as he felt a sharp pain in his left leg, caused by putting too much pressure on it as he backed away. The familiars were almost within reach of Edward, causing him to freeze in fright, as he did nothing but stare at the terrifying creatures coming towards him.

Edward – N-no!

Edward shut his eyes tight. But just before the familiars got to him, three gunshots were shown being fired along with three golden/white arrows made from light. The flame bullets and the light arrows made direct contact with the familiars and the top of Izabel where her runes were written. The familiars were instantly destroyed and flames then swooped out of Izabel and wrapped her up into a cage of fire, preventing her from moving. Edward was still frozen in fright, but he began to slowly open his eyes to see what or who had saved him.

Roy – That was a close one! It's a good thing we made it here in time.

Edward widened his eyes in shock as he saw two people standing in front of him: Roy Mustang in his magical contractor clothes, and Alphonse dressed in a small and skinny suit of armor that covered his whole body except for his head. Alphonse also had a golden/white Soul Timer with his own magic circle imprinted on it strapped to his waist. He and Roy then looked back at Edward while smiling reassuringly.

Alphonse – It's all right. You're safe now… Nii-san.

Edward still looked incredibly surprised from Alphonse and Roy's appearances.

Edward – A-Al?! You guys are…?

Kyubey – They're magical contractors.

Edward turned around in surprise once he heard Kyubey, who was sitting behind him.

Kyubey – They hunt wraiths and witches.

Edward turned back around to see Roy raise another musket and Alphonse prepare another arrow as both of their magic circles appeared underneath their feet.

Alphonse – Well, you've discovered our secret. But, make sure not to tell anyone else in our class, okay?

Alphonse and Roy both fired at Izabel and made a direct hit. Two seconds passed before Izabel completely exploded. Alphonse and Roy stared at the defeated witch with pride, Kyubey watched the two magical contractors with his usual expression, and Edward stared at them with amazement and admiration showing in his eyes.

* * *

Later on, Roy invited Alphonse and Edward to his house. The three of them were sitting at the table in Roy's living room, eating his leftover homemade cake.

Edward – Man… my little brother was already a genius, a natural athlete, and the Nurse's Aide for our class. Now you're telling me you fight evil monsters that spread misfortune?

Edward was shown grinning while holding both of his hands behind his head.

Edward – How am I supposed to top that?

Alphonse giggled a little.

Alphonse – Come on, Nii-san. You're embarrassing me.

Edward – Sorry. Sorry.

Roy smiled as well.

Roy – Funny… You two seem pretty different… for brothers that is.

Edward and Alphonse looked at Roy confusedly.

Alphonse – What do you mean, Mustang-san?

Roy grinned.

Roy – Well for one thing, you Alphonse, are calm and polite… where as Edward appears more rash and loud.

Edward's eyes turned to daggers as he glared at Roy for his comment.

Roy – In fact, you seem much more mature than your brother as well, Alphonse. Are you sure you're not really the older one?

Edward then sat up angrily.

Edward – Hey! What are you implying?!

Roy – Nothing really. Just based on all the stories Alphonse told me about you, that's just the image that popped into my head. Although, I actually expected you to be a lot taller.

Edward then seemed to snap as his temper sharply rose again.

Edward – WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT NO ONE WOULD SEE HIM IF HE WAS THE SIZE OF A SPECK OF DUST HELPLESSLY FLOATING IN THE WIND?!

Roy then burst out into laughter.

Roy – Now that was quite a reaction. Sensitive about height, I see.

Edward clenched his hand into a fist and it looked like smoke was rising from his head.

Edward – Damn you…!

Roy then raised his hand into the air.

Roy – Come on, don't take it personally, Kid. Just having a good laugh.

Edward sat straight back down in his chair and seemed to calm down.

Edward – Yeah, whatever. So, Al… Do you guys always fight those things…?

Alphonse – Well, kind of. Mustang-san's the real veteran but… I actually just made my contract with Kyubey last week.

Roy – However, your fighting today was a big improvement from before, Alphonse.

Alphonse – Really? Well, I do try to train hard when we're not patrolling.

Edward – That's pretty amazing, Al. Although, I don't get how you're okay with doing something like that.

Alphonse and Roy both look at Edward confusedly.

Alphonse – Huh? What do you mean, Nii-san?

Edward – Well, even I felt terrified while I was in that labyrinth. Don't you get scared too?

Alphonse – Actually, it does bother me sometimes. And I do get scared too. But the more wraiths and witches we slay, the more people we can save. So it's actually worth the effort.

Roy – That's right.

Edward smiled at Alphonse and Roy. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was actually fascinated with them both, protecting people to fight wraiths and witches.

Roy – I would like you to get fully-trained and ready… before Walpurgisnacht gets here, Alphonse.

Edward then looked confused.

Edward – Walpurgisnacht? What's that?

Alphonse – Um, how do I say this… It's kind of like a festival for the magic world.

Roy – By the end of this month, a powerful storm will hit East City. Make sure not to go outside when that happens.

Edward – Huh? Oh, okay…

Edward then thought of something.

Edward – Hey, Mustang? How do you become a magical contractor, anyway?

Alphonse and Roy looked at Edward in surprise.

Edward – I was just curious. It kind of seems like a complex process, but…

Alphonse then smiled happily.

Alphonse – No, I actually think you could become one too, Nii-san.

Edward looked surprised.

Edward – Huh? You can really become one so easily?

Alphonse – Yeah. Right, Kyubey?

Kyubey – Well to put it simply, I grant the wishes of humans in exchange for a contract where you work as magical contractors. If you say that's simple, then I suppose it is.

Roy – It's not that simple. Becoming a magical contractor means giving up any possibility of living a normal life.

Alphonse and Edward looked over to Roy as he explained.

Roy – It means bearing the duty of hunting wraiths and witches. And no one knows when the battle will ever end. Not to mention it's extremely dangerous. If you become a magical contractor half heartedly, you're bound to regret it.

Edward – That sounds rough. But, you still accepted that life?

Roy – Yes.

Edward – You too, Al?

Alphonse – Yeah.

The three were silent for a while.

Roy – Why don't we call it a night? It's starting to get late.

Alphonse and Edward sat up.

Alphonse – Thank you for the cake, Mustang-san.

Edward – Yeah, thanks.

Roy nodded to both of them.

Roy – Same time tomorrow, Alphonse.

Alphonse – Right.

Edward and Alphonse were then shown walking home together.

Alphonse – So, what do you think, Nii-san? Do you think you want to become a magical contractor too?

Edward thought for a while.

Edward – I don't know. Mustang clearly explained that it's not a simple task… and the thought of what wish you'd want granted is tough too.

Alphonse – That's true. But, I'd think that you'd jump at the chance to have a miracle, Nii-san. After all, you could use your wish to heal your arm and leg if you really wanted.

Edward looked at his right arm.

Edward – If I had learned about this earlier today, then I probably would've done that. But now…

Alphonse stared at Edward surprisingly.

Edward – My limbs were much weaker back then than they are now. I couldn't even move around much without collapsing. But, I couldn't stand just sitting around without being able to do anything… So, I made a vow back then, that I would do everything I could to become stronger. You and Mustang are the ones who reminded me of that vow, Al.

Alphonse continued to look at his brother in awe.

Edward – That's why, I want to use my own power to fix my arm and leg.

Alphonse smiled.

Alphonse – Nii-san…

Edward – By the way, Al? What was your wish when you became a magical contractor?

Alphonse looked startled.

Alphonse – Huh? Um… Well…

Alphonse was a bit hesitant to answer, but then he smiled as he looked ahead of the road.

Alphonse – It was last Tuesday… I was looking through our old photo albums and I found lots of pictures of you, me, and Winry. And they made me start thinking about you, Nii-san. I really missed you very much… If I could just see you again, then I would have been very happy…

Edward – You said you contracted with Kyubey last Tuesday? That was the day before…

Edward's eyes then widened as realization hit him.

Edward – It couldn't be…

Alphonse – That's right, Nii-san. Kyubey came by shortly afterwards, and I asked him to have Dad's company transfer back to East City.

Edward was shocked.

Edward – Then, the whole reason why Dad and I moved back… was because of you, Al?

Alphonse – Yeah, I really wanted to see you, Nii-san. I wanted to be with you again. I wanted us to go to school together again, and play with Winry again, and even try to get Mom and Dad back together so we could be a family again. Of course, because I became a magical contractor, I'm sure I can't do all of those things myself anymore. But, as long as you are here with me, Nii-san… then that's more than enough for me.

Edward – Al…

Edward put his hand on Alphonse's shoulder and smiled at him.

Edward – Me too. I really wanted to see you again… you, Winry, Mom, and even Sensei. Thank you, Al.

Alphonse smiled again.

Alphonse – Speaking of Winry… Have you decided when you're going to tell her how you really feel about her, Nii-san?

Edward's face quickly turned bright red.

Edward – Wh-what are talking about, Al?! I already told you, I don't love Winry!

Alphonse quickly ran off.

Alphonse – Don't worry, Nii-san! I won't tell anyone!

Edward angrily ran after his brother.

Edward – I'm telling you… it's not like that! Hey! Get back here! Al!

Edward continued to chase after his brother.

* * *

A month later, Edward was shown sitting in his room, watching dark clouds begin to form outside.

Edward – It looks like a storm's coming. Judging by those clouds, it looks like it's going to be bad. Now that I think about it, Al wasn't in school today. I wonder if he's all right?

Edward went to the phone and dialed Alphonse's number. Edward waited for him to pick up, but he never did.

Edward – Weird, why isn't Al answering his cell phone? I'll just try the house.

Edward dialed again, this time someone did pick up.

**Trisha**** – ****Hello?**

Edward – Oh, Mom? It's me.

**Trisha**** – ****Ed, is that you? How nice of you to call. How are you?**

Edward – I'm fine. Is Al with you?

**Trisha**** – ****I'm sorry, Ed. Al hasn't come home from school yet.**

Edward suddenly looked shocked.

Edward – What? He hasn't come home… from school?

**Trisha**** – ****Yes. And it looks like a storm is going to start soon. I hope he's all right.**

Edward was silent as he tried to process what Trisha had told him.

**Trisha**** – ****Ed? Are you there?**

Edward – Y-yeah. Thank you, Mom. Bye.

Edward hung up.

Edward – (Mom said that Al did go to school. So why did he never show up?)

Edward then dialed the phone again, but nobody answered again, which made him grimace.

Edward – (Mustang isn't picking up either.)

Edward dialed another phone number, and someone did answer this time.

**Izumi**** – ****Who is it?**

Edward – Sensei?

**Izumi**** – ****Huh? Ed?**

Edward – Sensei, I have to ask you something.

**Izumi**** – ****If it's about homework, figure it out yourself. Don't think I'm going to be any easier on you than I was when I taught you and Al martial arts.**

Edward – Sensei, was a teacher named Roy Mustang in school today?

**Izumi**** – ****Huh? Roy Mustang?**

Izumi was silent for a moment before she answered.

**Izumi**** – ****Oh, yeah I know him. But, unfortunately he was absent today.**

Edward was silent and he scowled again.

Edward – I see. Thank you, Sensei.

**Izumi**** – ****Hm? Ed, what's wrong?**

Edward – I'm sorry, I have to go.

**Izumi**** – ****Hey, Ed! Wai-**

Edward hung up before Izumi could finish.

Edward – (If Mustang's gone too, then that could only mean…)

Edward then remembered when Roy told him something about a storm.

_Roy__ – __By the end of this month, a powerful storm will hit East City. Make sure not to go outside when that happens._

Edward – (It couldn't be…?)

Edward went to his computer and searched up Walpurgisnacht.

Edward – Here it is. Walpurgisnacht is a festival commonly celebrated throughout Europe. In Germany, the Walpurgisnacht is also known as the Hexen Nacht, which means "Witch Night". During the night, witches begin a feast… Wait, a feast for witches…? Magical contractors fight wraiths… and witches! Then that means…!

Edward gasped and his eyes widened with horror.

Edward – It couldn't be…!

Kyubey – I didn't have a doubt you'd find out, Edward Elric.

Edward turned around sharply to see Kyubey sitting outside his window.

Edward – Kyubey!

Edward ran over to Kyubey.

Edward – Is it true?! Are Al and Mustang really…?!

Kyubey – Yes. The most powerful witch in the world, Walpurgisnacht, has arrived in this city. Alphonse and Roy have gone to fight it.

Edward – Kyubey, take me to them!

Kyubey sounded surprised.

Kyubey – What are you saying? That's suicide! It's way too dangerous for a regular human such as yourself!

Edward – I don't care! I have to get to Al! Please, Kyubey.

The fire in Edward's eyes didn't stop burning and Kyubey eventually sighed.

Kyubey – Well, I can certainly see I won't be able to say anything to change your mind. Very well. Follow me.

Meanwhile Edward's dad, Van Hohenheim, was listening to a live broadcast about requested evacuation because of the storm.

Hohenheim – Hm, I thought the storm would be bad. I hope Trisha and Al are all right…

Edward suddenly ran downstairs and past Hohenheim.

Hohenheim – What? Ed, what's wrong?

Edward – I'm sorry, Dad! I have to go!

Edward ran out of the house quickly before Hohenheim could stop him.

Hohenheim – Wait! Ed!

Edward ignored his Dad and ran after Kyubey.

Kyubey – This way, Edward!

Edward kept running as he followed Kyubey, which resulted in him needing to stop a few times to prevent himself from passing out because of his limbs. Meanwhile, Alphonse and Roy were both in their magical contractor clothes, about to go inside a giant mass of fog standing at their side.

Roy – It's time. Are you ready?

Roy noticed that Alphonse seemed to have something else on his mind.

Roy – Alphonse?

Alphonse – Are you sure we shouldn't have told Nii-san?

Roy looked at Alphonse sympathetically.

Roy – Edward's stubborn. And he's your older brother. If we told him he would have insisted on coming.

Alphonse turned to Roy.

Alphonse – But…

Roy – I know this is hard for you, Alphonse. After all, there's a possible chance we won't come back from this fight.

Alphonse looked down sadly.

Alphonse – I know.

He then looked up with determination in his eyes.

Alphonse – Let's go.

Roy nodded and the two contractors began to head towards the cloud of fog to face Walpurgisnacht.

Edward – Al!

Alphonse suddenly stopped once he heard Edward's voice.

Edward – Al! Wait!

Alphonse and Roy quickly turned around to see Edward running towards them.

Alphonse – It couldn't be…! Nii-san?!

Edward – Al! Mustang!

Roy and Alphonse both looked incredibly shocked to see Edward.

Alphonse – Nii-san! What are you do-

Alphonse then grew nervous once he noticed that Edward started glaring daggers at him, indicating that he was furious. Edward ran even faster and then tried to throw some punches and kicks at Alphonse.

Edward – YOU IDIOT!

Alphonse – Hey, wait! Calm down, Nii-san!

Edward – How dare you leave without telling me you were going to be fighting such a powerful witch!

Alphonse and Roy looked a bit startled.

Alphonse – Nii-san, how did yo-

Edward's teeth turned into monster teeth and he glared dangerously at Alphonse, scaring him a little.

Edward – Don't "how did you know?" me! Did you honestly think it was even hard to figure out?!

Roy, who was staring at the brothers off to the side, began to walk towards them after he shook out of his shock from watching Edward's fury.

Roy – You shouldn't be here, Edward. It's dangerous. You need to get to the evacuation shel-

Edward then glared angrily at Roy.

Edward – And you…!

Edward pointed his finger straight in Roy's face.

Edward – Why the heck didn't you tell me the truth about Walpurgisnacht?!

Roy's expression then looked blank and calm.

Roy – So, you really did find out… You certainly are sharp, Edward.

Edward – Don't ignore me!

Edward suddenly felt his leg give out under him and he fell to the ground.

Roy – Hey! What's wrong?

Alphonse – Nii-san!

Alphonse ran over to Edward's side and Roy kneeled down to him.

Alphonse – Nii-san, you didn't run here, did you?

Edward was panting heavily and his whole body was shaking.

Edward – It was… the only way… I could get… here in time…

Roy – You're so reckless.

Roy put his hands on Edward's shoulders and closed his eyes in concentration. His magic circle then appeared underneath Edward and started glowing a bright reddish/orange light. Edward then relaxed a little as his pain disappeared. Once the magic circle faded, Edward sat up, along with Alphonse and Roy.

Edward – Thanks.

Roy – It's not much. But I managed to ease down the pain and exhaustion throughout most of your body.

Alphonse – Nii-san, you have to get to safety. Dad must be really worried about you by now.

Edward – I'm not going.

Alphonse and Roy gasped slightly.

Edward – I'm going with you guys.

Roy – Not happening.

Edward – But…

Alphonse – Mustang-san is right, Nii-san! This witch will cause much more destruction than any other we've ever faced before! It's too dangerous for you to come!

Edward – I don't care! If this witch is really this dangerous, then I'm not going to leave you two alone to fight it!

Alphonse – But…! Kyubey, say something!

Alphonse looked over to Kyubey.

Kyubey – I tried to convince him not to come too, but he won't listen to me either.

Roy sighed, then he looked over to Kyubey as well.

Roy – Kyubey, you must have been around wraiths and witches long enough to learn how to avoid them. Is it possible to keep Edward at a safe distance from Walpurgisnacht once we begin to fight?

Alphonse and Edward both looked at Roy in surprise.

Kyubey – Walpurgisnacht is a witch that moves around to constant locations. If we can't defeat it, it'll engulf all of East City in its destruction. Although, I do know of a good spot where we can wait safely while you two fight.

Roy – Excellent.

Roy then turned back to Edward and Alphonse.

Alphonse – Wait, Mustang-san… Is this really okay?

Roy – It's not like we really have any other choice.

Roy then looked back at the fog.

Roy – Let's go, you two.

Roy began to walk in.

Edward and Alphonse – Right!

Edward and Alphonse followed in after Roy. Edward glanced over at Alphonse, noticing that he looked worried. Edward then put his hand on Alphonse's shoulder.

Edward – Come on, Al. I'll be fine.

Alphonse – Are you sure, Nii-san? I just… don't want you to get hurt.

Edward – Don't worry. You just focus on taking down Walpurgisnacht.

Alphonse smiled lightly.

Alphonse – Okay. You know, Nii-san… He may not say it, but Mustang-san's also worried about you.

Edward smiled.

Edward – I know.

The boys didn't see it, but Roy's cheeks began to turn red once he heard them. Kyubey continued to stare at the three without moving from his spot, until they were out of sight.

* * *

After a while, the silhouette of a large doll-like monster attatched to a few large spinning gears with a pole was shown floating in the sky while a bunch of torn buildings were floating in the air around it. Alphonse and Edward were then shown sitting on one of the platforms at the top of a giant dead tree, both of them kneeling and grieving over Roy's now dead body, which was lying between the two brothers. Alphonse then stood up.

Alphonse – Well… I'd better go now.

Edward looked up at his brother in shock.

Edward – What? But… But Mustang… just died!

Edward's voice was breaking since he was still upset over Roy's death. Alphonse then turned around and bravely looked at the large doll-like monster floating in the sky.

Alphonse – That's why I have to go. Because I'm the only one left who can stop Walpurgisnacht.

Edward – What are you talking about, Al?! You know it's impossible to beat that thing alone! You'll die too!

Alphonse – Even so, I'm a magical contractor. It's my job to protect everyone.

Edward began to break down as he continued to stare at Roy's body.

Edward – No… Don't do this, Al… You're my little brother… I can't let you die.

Alphonse – Then what am I supposed to do? You should know, Nii-san… You hate running away more than anyone. And I don't plan on running away either.

Edward's eyes began to fill with tears.

Edward – But…

Alphonse then turned around and smiled at Edward.

Alphonse – Nii-san… I'm really glad I got to see you again. Being together for this past month has given me more happiness than I could ever expect. Back then, when we were in time to save you from that witch… It's always been one of my proudest accomplishments.

Edward looked up at Alphonse sadly.

Alphonse – That's why, in the end I'm really glad I decided to become a magical contractor. Believe in me.

Edward – Al…

Alphonse – Good-bye, Nii-san. Take care of Mom and Dad for me.

Alphonse ran off and leaped into the air, ready to continue fighting Walpurgisnacht. More tears leaked down Edward's face as he could do nothing but helplessly watch his little brother go.

Edward – No! Don't go! ALPHONSE!

Edward reached out both of his arms and shouted out to try to stop his brother, but it was inevitable. Alphonse's hand was then shown lying on the flooded ground between some rubble. There were a few cuts on his hand and it wasn't moving at all.

Edward – You idiot…

Edward was then shown hovering and crying heavily over Alphonse's dead body, which was lying on the watery ground.

Edward – You knew, didn't you? That you were going to get killed…

The entire area where Alphonse and Roy fought Walpurgisnacht was completely in ruins, however the enormous witch was nowhere in sight, meaning that Alphonse must have beaten it, but died in doing so. Edward leaned further down and hugged Alphonse's body.

Edward – Damn it! I'm the older brother… I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you… Why did you have to die?! I wish you had lived instead!

Kyubey then appeared on a stone behind Edward and looked down at him.

Kyubey – Do you really mean that, Edward Elric? Would you put your soul at stake for that wish? If there is something you want badly enough to accept a destiny of battle… then I can be of help to you.

Edward looked up at Kyubey.

Edward – You… If I make a contract with you, then you can grant me any wish I want, right?

Kyubey – That's right. It seems that you have enough potential for it. So tell me—What is the wish that will make your Soul Timer shine?

Edward – I…

Edward looked down at Alphonse again, then he narrowed his eyes and wiped his tears away. He closed his eyes as he stood up and when he opened them again, the fire inside was burning even brighter than before, showing pure determination as he stared strongly at Kyubey.

Edward – I want to go back… Back in time and redo this entire month over again. But this time, instead of having Al protect me… I want to become strong enough to protect him!

Kyubey and Edward stared at each other for a moment until Edward shut his eyes and arched down as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. His chest then rose up and a bright golden, circular object rose out of it. The object continued to form as it floated in the air in front of Kyubey.

Kyubey – The contract has been made. Your wish has prevailed over entropy. So, go now… unleash your new power!

Edward looked up in determination, then he reached both of his hands out and grasped his Soul Timer. The golden light seeped through his fingers as his magic began to activate. Edward kept his eyes narrowed as he stared determinedly at the light from his Soul Timer shining through his hands. Then, through his eyes, all the sand from one orb flowed to the other and the time mechanism in the small compartment activated and spun around, causing time to rewind.

* * *

Edward was then shown lying in bed, his hair was down and he was in his sleeping clothes. His eyes slowly opened as he woke up, then he opened them right away as soon as his memories instantly came back to him. He sat up and looked around his room in confusion as he recognized it.

Edward – This is-

Edward got up, walked over to a window, and pulled the curtains open. He gasped once he saw what was outside.

Edward – (I'm still in Tokyo?)

Hohenheim – Ed! Are you up yet?

Edward was surprised once he heard his father's voice.

Edward – Y-yeah! I'm just getting dressed!

Edward then looked around and spotted his calendar. He ran over to it and saw that it was one day before Hohenheim's company decided to transfer. In other words, the day Alphonse made his contract.

Edward – (Then, this means…!)

Edward then noticed something was in the pocket of his pants. He reached back, took it out, and opened his palm to see what it was. Edward gasped and his eyes widened as he stared at his Soul Timer, which was closed, showing his magic circle imprinted on the top.

Edward – (I knew it! It wasn't a dream!)

A week had passed and it was once again the day Edward transferred to East City Middle School. Just like the first time, he was standing proudly at the front of the classroom in front of all his classmates to give his introduction.

Izumi – Now, please introduce yourself.

Edward – I'm Edward Elric. Nice to meet you all.

Izumi wrote Edward's name on the board and the same girl who asked him before if he was related to Alphonse raised her hand again to ask the same question.

Random Girl – Um, you said, "Elric". Then are you by any chance related to Alphonse Elric-san?

Alphonse stood up from his seat to answer the girl's question again.

Alphonse – That's right. He's my older brother.

All the other students gasped in shock, but Edward didn't pay attention to them; his attention was heavily and completely directed at Alphonse. Edward stared at his brother in shock and tried to keep himself from crying. Never before had he been so relieved and so happy to see his brother alive and well. Edward then closed his eyes and smiled.

Edward – (It really did work…)

Later on during break, many of Edward's classmates came to him once again to ask him the same questions they asked him the first time. This time however, he had something different planned.

Edward – Um, If you all wouldn't mind… I'd like to go talk to my brother for a while. It's been a long time since we've last seen each other.

Random Girl – Oh, okay. Sorry for keeping you.

Edward – Thank you.

Edward rose out of his seat and walked over to Alphonse and Winry, who both of course still looked very happy to see him. The three talked together for a while until Edward turned his attention straight towards Alphonse.

Edward – Hey, Al? Could I talk to you in private?

Alphonse – Huh? Um, okay…

Edward and Alphonse walked through the halls until they got to the glass hallway bridge.

Alphonse – Is something the matter, Nii-san?

Edward turned around and happily smiled at his brother, then he reached forward and grabbed Alphonse's hands, which surprised him.

Edward – Al, I know your secret.

Alphonse looked shocked. Then he smiled nervously.

Alphonse – Wh-what are you talking about Nii-san?

Edward – Don't worry, you don't need to hide it from me. Look!

Edward held out his Soul Timer to Alphonse, who looked very surprised.

Alphonse – A Soul Timer! Nii-san, you're a magical contractor too?!

Edward – Yeah, that's right!

Alphonse – Amazing! When did you become one?

Edward put his hand behind his head and looked at Alphonse guiltily.

Edward – Just recently, actually. So, I don't really have any experience…

Alphonse – Don't worry, Nii-san. I'm still just learning myself, but I've been training with a very experienced magical contractor. I'm sure he'll be happy to teach you as well.

Edward knew that Alphonse was talking about Roy, but he decided to play along.

Edward – All right! Then let's do our best together from now on, Al!

* * *

Later on, it was raining, and Edward, Alphonse, and Roy were at a construction area underneath some bridges, where Alphonse and Roy usually trained.

Roy – First, we'll need to see your skills. Attack the target like it was a real familiar.

Edward – You know, Mustang… I'm not judging your teaching methods or anything, but…

Edward was looking at an oil barrel that was standing in the center of the pavement with disbelief.

Edward – Why are we using barrels for dummies? Wraiths and witches are a lot harder to fight than these things. Shouldn't we use something more helpful?

Roy grinned.

Roy – Basic target practices always use simple objects like tin cans or oil barrels. It's actually a lot more profitable than you would imagine. Besides, you two learned martial arts before… Didn't you train with stuff like this all the time?

Edward and Alphonse turned white as the horrifying memories of their training with Izumi came back to them.

Edward – No…

Alphonse – Sensei fought us herself… and she never held back.

Roy then looked a little scared.

Roy – (Just what kind of teachings does this woman use?!)

Alphonse – But, this is still fine, Nii-san. I've used these as targets too and they actually work very well.

Edward sighed.

Edward – Fine, I'll give it a try.

Edward then stepped down to the pavement and looked at the oil barrel with determination while Alphonse and Roy watched from the sidelines.

Edward – All right! Here I go!

Edward transformed into his magical contractor clothes, then he clapped his hands together, which formed a blade on his armored arm. He began to run towards the oil barrel and soon stopped time. Once he got close enough he began to beat and slice the barrel into many pieces with his blade until he resumed time. Roy was then shown looking over the damage while Alphonse was kneeling over Edward, who was on the ground panting, but he didn't look as worn out as he normally did.

Alphonse – Nii-san, are you sure you're all right?

Edward looked up at Alphonse and smiled.

Edward – Don't worry… Al. I'm fine.

Edward rose up his armored hand and griped it into a fist as he looked at it with a grin on his face.

Edward – This armor really helps keep me from overexerting my arm. And it's light and easy to move around, too.

Alphonse – Really? That should be helpful for future battles.

Alphonse then looked over to Roy, who was still examining the pieces of the now busted and sliced barrel.

Alphonse – So, what do you think, Mustang-san?

Roy – Hmm… Time magic, huh… It's certainly incredible, but also tricky to learn how to fight with.

Edward – What do you mean?

Roy – Your armor blade would normally be perfect for it, but your magic may not be strong enough yet to completely maintain your physical condition for fighting. You still might have some problems with your weak limbs for a while.

Edward looked annoyed.

Edward – Damn it. Stupid limbs.

Roy – Since your magic mainly acts as a support role… In the meantime, you'll have to use another weapon for fighting that won't put too large of a strain on your arm or leg.

Edward – (That's easier said than done! I can't use magic to make weapons like you two can!)

Edward then suddenly had an idea. Later on that night, he was sitting in front of his computer, following online instructions on "How To Make A Bomb" while building them at the same time.

Edward – (Mustang used his magic to enchant objects I brought to protect myself with when I joined him and Al for patrols. If regular weapons don't have any effect on wraiths or witches… Then if I make my own weapons and enchant them with my own magic…)

Edward finally finished making one bomb, then he clapped his hands together and put them on the bomb. His magic circle appeared over the bomb and it began to glow and reform. Once the light faded, the bomb was revealed to have a slightly different shape along with different designs added from the effects of Edward's magic. He then smiled as he looked at his creation with pride.

Edward – Perfect.

Edward then continued to work on more bombs. The next day, he, Alphonse, and Roy were fighting inside another labyrinth. The area in this barrier didn't have a ground, only a blue sky with clouds, multiple clotheslines with all different kinds of school uniform shirts hanging from them, and classroom desk chairs raining from the sky. Edward was then shown holding onto one of the clotheslines with both his hands and knees, unable to move much since he was trying to balance himself and avoid the falling chairs at the same time. He also looked pretty irritated.

Edward – What the heck is with this labyrinth?!

Roy, who was easily standing on another clothesline was looking down at Edward and grinning.

Roy – My, my. Having trouble hanging on, Fullmetal?

Edward sharply looked up at Roy with an irritated glare.

Roy – You sure look pretty silly down there… And slightly smaller than usual.

Edward then glared angrily at Roy.

Edward – DON'T CALL ME SMALL!

Roy giggled a little from Edward's reaction.

Roy – Take it easy, Fullmetal. I'm just teasing.

Alphonse – Come on, you two. We're supposed to be fighting this wraith, not each other.

Edward humphed.

Edward – Right, right, whatever.

Alphonse then looked up and noticed something.

Alphonse – There it is! I can see it!

Roy's gaze then turned serious as he looked up as well.

Roy – All right, you both remember the plan, right? Alphonse, you and I will draw out the familiars and get the wraith's attention.

Roy then turned to Edward.

Roy – Then, that's where you come in, Fullmetal. We'll create a window of opportunity for you to attack.

Edward nodded.

Edward – I got it.

Roy and Alphonse began heading towards the wraith as they ran across the clotheslines, completely balanced. The wraith was then shown, he had the body of a regular boy, was wearing a boy's school uniform, instead of a head though he had two extra arms at his sides, and his legs were also replaced with two more arms. The inside of his clothes were designed with spiders, which were colored with murkey dark colors. The wraith's runes were set down below him saying, Patrick, The Class Representative Wraith. The desk chairs that were raining down were coming from the inside of the bottom of Patrick's pants, but then a bunch of familiars that looked like the bottom halves of girl students wearing ice skates, came shooting out of his pants towards Alphonse and Roy. Alphonse stopped and leaned down as he made multiple arrows and shot them at the familiars, clearing the way for Roy.

Alphonse – Mustang-san! Now!

Roy – Roger!

Roy continued to run up his clothesline as he snapped his fingers and sent a bunch of flames towards the middle of a bunch of different clotheslines, which all quickly burned and snapped in half. Roy then grabbed the ends of the clotheslines he broke and used them to swing himself through the air and weave them all together to create a bridge made out of clothelines underneath Edward that lead straight to Patrick.

Roy – Fullmetal! You're up!

Edward – Right!

Edward jumped down from his line and landed on the bridge Roy made for him, then he quickly stopped time and began running towards Patrick. As Edward ran, he took one of his bombs out of his coat, pushed the button, and narrowed his eyes in determination. Once he got to the end of the bridge, he jumped through the air and threw his bomb at Patrick as he glided underneath him. Once Edward was far enough, he resumed time and Patrick quickly exploded. Edward then realized that he was falling and had no ground to drop down onto.

Edward – AAAHHHH! I'm going to die!

Edward then felt someone grab him by his coat and he looked up to see the person who caught him was Roy, still holding onto a clothesline so he wouldn't fall either.

Roy – Calm down, Fullmetal. You're fine.

Edward's face then turned red out of embarrassment.

Edward – Th-thank you…

Roy – Don't mention it. Nice work back there, too.

Edward then looked up to see that Patrick was gone.

Edward – Then, it really worked?

Edward then smiled.

Edward – I did it…!

As the labyrinth began to disappear, Alphonse tackled Edward into a hug.

Alphonse – You did it, Nii-san! That was amazing!

Edward – H-hey, Al!

The three magical contractors were now standing on the grass near a factory siting. Roy smiled as he watched Alphonse hug Edward. As Alphonse hugged his brother, Edward began to smile as well as he relaxed in Alphonse's arms.

Roy – Good work!

Edward and Alphonse finally stood up, then Roy walked over to where the Grief Gears had landed and picked them up.

Roy – Now then, hold out your Soul Timers, you two.

Alphonse and Edward nodded. Roy held out his Soul Timer as well as the Grief Gears purified the three watches.

Roy – I think that was the last one for tonight.

Alphonse – Me two. We should probably get back home soon anyway.

Edward – You know… we sure make quite a team.

Roy and Alphonse turned to Edward and smiled.

Alphonse – I think so too, Nii-san! Our strategies and tactics were even better this time than they were before!

Roy – Working together allows you to combine your powers and strengths, thus giving you more advantages over your opponents than when you're alone. Be sure to remember that, you two.

Edward and Alphonse – Right!

The three friends then all clapped hands.

* * *

A month later, Edward and Alphonse were shown standing in the ruins of the area Walpurgisnacht attacked just like the last time. Both Edward and Alphonse were panting and looked very worn out, since they had just defeated Walpurgisnacht.

Edward – (Damn it… Mustang died again… But, at least Al is alive… I'm glad… I was at least able… to save one person…)

Edward then heard a small splash behind him. He sharply turned around and gasped once he saw that Alphonse had collapsed on the ground and transformed back into his regular clothes. His Soul Timer was open and sitting in his hands, however it was also completely black and the counting needle had just struck zero. Alphonse then began jerking around on the ground and he started to cry out in pain. Edward quickly rushed over to his brother's side and kneeled down to him.

Edward – Al! What's wrong, Al?! Get it together!

Edward then saw Alphonse's Soul Timer and gasped at how dark it was.

Edward – No way… Your Soul Timer is… Hold on, Al! Stay with me!

Alphonse's eyes were shut tight and he began to emit even more painful sounding cries as his expression clearly indicated that he was in lots of pain. His Soul Timer also didn't look like a Soul Timer anymore; it was now a set of Grief Gears that lay in his hand.

Alphonse – Nii-san…

Alphonse then let out a horrible sounding cry filled with anguish as a black version of his magic circle appeared underneath him and his hand self-consciously rose up. The Grief Gears in his hand began to turn and black light then swarmed out of them and rose into the sky. Edward watched the whole procedure in pure horror, and once Alphonse's body went completely limp, Edward couldn't stop staring at the sky as the black light turned into black smoke and what looked like a wraith made entirely out of metal began to form out of it. He then looked at his own Soul Timer to see that it was reacting and the ticking needle was spinning very quickly to the left.

Edward – What…?

Edward then looked back at Alphonse's wraith as it kept forming. The large metal wraith began to shape into a massive metal mountain that seemed to have two long arms at its peak. Confusion and horror were both going through Edward's head as he kept staring.

Edward – This… can't be… How can that… be Al?

The time mechanism in Edward's armor's compartment was then shown activating and time turned back once again. Edward woke up abruptly this time and his eyes were still filled with shock. He sat up slowly and looked over at his calendar, seeing that it was the beginning of the month again because of his magic. He knew the truth about magical contractors now, but he also knew that Alphonse and Roy didn't.

Edward – I have to tell them!

Edward, Alphonse, and Roy were then shown having a strategy meeting inside a building filled with lots of thick pipes. Winry was also with them, meaning that she was also a magical contractor in this timeline. Alphonse, Winry, and Roy gasped in shock and disbelief from what Edward had just told them.

Alphonse – No way! You're kidding right, Nii-san?!

Edward stared at his friends seriously but his eyes also held slight fear in them as well.

Edward – It's the truth… Kyubey's tricking all of you!

Winry – But… What would Kyubey gain by telling us such a huge lie? It doesn't make any sense.

Edward – I'm telling you! He's trying to harvest energy from us by turning us into wraiths and witches!

Winry – That can't be…

Roy – Kyubey has never proven himself to be one who would attempt to pull those strings. Who was it that told you this information? Maybe that's who's really trying to trick us.

Winry – I bet it was that woman, Riza Hawkeye! She's been against us ever since she came to East City after all! She probably just said that to get us all to turn against each other!

Edward – No, it wasn't her! I saw it happen myself!

Alphonse then turned to the others.

Alphonse – Whether it's really true or not… we shouldn't keep arguing like this, otherwise we all really will turn against each other.

Roy – That's certainly true. For now, it's probably best that we keep our guard up.

Edward looked down a bit disappointedly.

Winry – In any case, I personally wanted to discuss our battle plans. I really don't mind teaming up with Ed, but there is a small problem with that.

Edward then looked irritated.

Edward – What? Am I just not trustworthy enough?

Winry immediately felt guilty and she waved her hands outwards.

Winry – No! That's not it! Just here me out! Al and Mustang-san work well together since you both use long-range weapons. But I use direct combat when I fight. Ed's arm should be strong enough by now for him to use his armor blade, but I think his explosives are much more effective against wraiths and witches. Although, it's hard for us to work together when we have completely different fighting styles.

Edward – For example…?

Winry – For example… No offense Ed, but I'd rather not risk having bombs go off in my face. I've almost been caught in the blast multiple times now.

Edward then looked annoyed.

Edward – Hey! You know I'd never let that happen to you, Winry! Besides, I can't help the range of the blast whenever a bomb goes off! It's your own fault for not getting out of the way fast enough!

Winry then looked annoyed too.

Winry – Well you'd think that someone who can stop time would have better control with his own offense!

Alphonse and Roy sighed hopelessly as Edward and Winry got into another argument.

Edward – Mechanical Geek!

Winry – Time Freak!

Roy – That's enough!

Edward and Winry quickly stopped and shuddered a bit from Roy's loud voice.

Roy – I don't care if you continue arguing when we're not on patrol. But you two are partners whether you like it or not, so you'll have to cooperate even during these strategy meetings. Understood?

Edward and Winry looked at Roy a bit nervously.

Edward and Winry – Y-yes…

Edward and Winry then looked back at each other.

Winry – I'm sorry.

Edward – Yeah, me two.

Roy – Although, Winry does have a point. Fullmetal, do you have any other weapons you can use?

Edward – Well… that's…

Edward suddenly got an idea, then he grinned.

Edward – Don't worry. I know something that might work.

* * *

Edward was then shown in his magical contractor clothes opening one of the weapon lockers at a military base he snuck into by stopping time. A few soldiers were sitting at a table while smoking and talking, but they couldn't move now since they were frozen in time. Edward glanced over at them and gave a small smirk as he stuck his tongue out at the men in a crafty manner. Then he went back to raiding the locker.

Edward first pulled out a katana, which he then put to the side, then he pulled out a small caliber handgun, which he enchanted with his magic the same way he enchanted his bombs. The gun's shape changed a little and it now had similar designs to Edward's bombs. He put the gun into his coat and then he pulled out a shotgun, which he also enchanted with magic and then put into his coat as well. Finally, Edward took out a box of ammunition for his new weapons, enchanted them with magic, and put them into his coat. He then closed the locker, deciding he had what he needed for now.

More time had passed, however Winry fell into despair and turned into her witch, Elicia. Edward, Alphonse, Roy, and even Riza, who had recently joined their team, were fighting in Elicia's labyrinth, attempting to return her to normal. Elicia's origami crane familiars were flying around everywhere and there were also distorted wrench familiars with four dog legs wandering the floors of the barrier as well. Riza was then shown blocking and dodging most of the origami familiars as she tried calling out to get through to Elicia.

Riza – Snap out of it, Winry! There's a limit to how stubborn you should be… You are one of the few people I've met who has that problem!

Alphonse was then shown running and dodging Elicia's wrench familiars.

Alphonse – Winry, stop! Please remember! You never wanted to hurt anyone! Don't you recognize us?! We're your friends!

One of the origami familiars then struck Alphonse and the tip of the syringe it was carrying scratched him a little, sending him tumbling back. Elicia then sent many more origami familiars at Alphonse since he was vulnerable. He tried to get up, but the effects of the paralaysis substance the syringe that scratched him was carrying prevented his body from moving very much. Alphonse then gasped once he saw the familiars coming towards him, knowing that there was no way he could dodge them in his state. Roy and Riza also gasped as they saw the familiars heading towards Alphonse, realizing that neither of them could get to him in time.

Roy – Alphonse!

Riza – Alphonse-kun!

Edward – Al!

Edward was then shown running towards Alphonse as he called his name. He quickly stopped time just before the origami familiars could attack his brother. Edward then ran in front of Alphonse, pulled out his caliber gun and shot at each familiar that was charging at his little brother. The bullets stopped in time before they hit their targets, then Edward put away his gun and gazed up sadly at Elicia as he reached inside of his coat, took out a bomb, and pressed the button.

Edward – I'm sorry… Winry… (I didn't want it to come to this, but it's the only way I think you can be saved now.)

Time resumed once again and the bullets from Edward's gun made direct contact with the familiars they were fired at. Alphonse ducked to the ground just as the familiars were destroyed, then a bunch of Edward's bombs were shown set up all around Elicia. Each of the small explosives then set off, getting her caught in the blast and completely destroying her. The labyrinth then began to disappear as the remaining four magical contractors returned to the train station where the barrier had formed. Riza then stabbed her lance straight into the ground out of frustration and sadness as tears began to well up in her eyes and her body began to shake.

Riza – Winry… No… I can't accept this…

Alphonse was now kneeling on the ground and staring at his hands as he let his tears fall into them.

Alphonse – Why…? Why did this happen? It's too horrible…

Edward was then shown staring at the ground in sadness and frustration as well, tears were beginning to seep from his eyes, and both of his fists were clenched tightly. Suddenly, he was caught off guard once a bunch of flames came from the ground and surrounded him. One of Roy's muskets was then set off and the flame bullet hit Riza's Soul Timer, destroying it. She let out a small gasp before her eyes turned lifeless and empty. Edward gasped and watched in shock and horror as Riza's lifeless body fell to the ground and her transformation came undone. He then quickly turned back to Roy, still shocked.

Edward – What the heck are you doing, Mustang?!

Edward was taken back once he saw Roy crying as he pointed another musket at him.

Roy – If Soul Timers give birth to wraiths and witches… then we don't have any other choice but to die, don't we?!

Knowing that Roy would shoot, Edward glanced desperately at his armored arm, trying to think of a way to escape. Though he knew the thick air would slow down his movements and usage of magic, which would allow the flames to quickly engulf him if he showed any signs of movement at all, and he would get killed anyway.

Roy – Both you… and me!

Edward looked pleadingly at Roy again just as he was about to shoot.

Edward – Stop…!

Suddenly Alphonse shot one of his arrows in Roy's direction and it shattered his Soul Timer. Roy also let out a small gasp just before his eyes turned lifeless and empty as well. His musket fired just before his body hit the ground, but luckily his aim was off and the flame bullet had just missed Edward, who stared at Roy in shock as he watched him fall and his transformation come undone after his body hit the ground. He then looked over at Alphonse, who was still standing on his knees as he held his bow. Edward was still completely shocked that Alphonse would go so far as to kill another person, much more a friend in order to save him.

Edward – A-Al…?

Alphonse – I hate this! I can't take it anymore! Everyone…!

Alphonse buried his face into his hands and he continued to sob. Edward walked over to his brother slowly and kneeled down to him.

Edward – It'll be all right… We're still alive, so I know we can keep going. Let's defeat Walpurgisnacht together… for everyone's sake!

Alphonse looked up at Edward, who smiled at him reassuringly. Alphonse still looked devastated, but he wiped his eyes and gave a brother a brave nod. Edward stared at Alphonse with sad eyes and tears flowing down his face as well, but he continued to smile.

* * *

The battle against Walpurgisnacht had ended and Edward and Alphonse managed to win, but they were both lying on the ground next to each other in the ruins of what was left of the area Walpurgisnacht destroyed. Both of their bodies were covered in injuries, Alphonse's right arm and Edward's left arm were both stretched out, Edward's arm crossed over Alphonse's arm, and their Soul Timers were open and sitting in their palms. Both Soul Timers were almost completely black and the counting needles in both watches were set between the numbers eleven and zero.

Alphonse – So… this is the end for us too, huh… Nii-san?

Alphonse and Edward's heads were facing each other; both of them were looking into the other's eyes while smiling, trying to give each other comfort.

Edward – Unless you have any more Grief Gears…?

Alphonse turned to the sky and shook his head. Edward then turned his head to the sky as well, causing Alphonse to turn back to his brother.

Edward – I see… Then… How about we both become wraiths right now… and destroy this whole, awful world? Until there's no more evil, no more sadness, nothing left at all… Let's just smash, and break, and beat it all to dust…!

Alphonse – But… Is that really what you want, Nii-san…?

Edward shut his eyes as more tears leaked from them and he frowned sadly.

Edward – Of course not… But, what else can we do…?

Alphonse continued to smile as he quietly and gently placed a set of Grief Gears on Edward's Soul Timer, which began to clear and wind back up. Feeling the rejuvenation in his body, Edward's eyes filled with shock and horror as he sharply turned his head back to Alphonse, who continued to smile at him.

Alphonse – I lied. This was the last one I had.

Edward – No! You idiot! Why did you use it on me?!

Edward rolled over and placed his other hand on Alphonse's.

Alphonse – Because, you're my brother, Nii-san. You're just as precious to me as I am to you. You would do the same thing for me.

Edward – But-

Alphonse – Besides, I want to ask you to do something that only you can do. Nii-san… you can go back in time, right?

Alphonse's voice started to break as he spoke.

Alphonse – Then, you can change history, so that is won't end like this, right?

Edward – Yeah…

More tears began to stream down Alphonse's face once he shut his eyes. Then he opened them again, revealing all the fear and anguish inside of them.

Alphonse – Then would you… go back and save me before I get tricked by Kyubey?

Edward gasped with shock.

Edward – But…! If I do that, then…! Al, your wish…!

Alphonse – Don't worry about that. I made the contract… because more than anything… I wanted to see you again, Nii-san. But, I know now… that even if we're far apart… you'll always be by my side. And if I'm ever in trouble, you'll always be there for me. I don't need magic in order to see that. So… Will you help me see it?

Edward looked at Alphonse both sadly and determinedly as he allowed his tears to completely soak his face.

Edward – Yes! I promise! I swear I'll save you! No matter how may times I have to go back and try! I promise, I'll protect you no matter what!

Alphonse looked relieved and he felt deeply moved by Edward's words.

Alphonse – Thank you…

Alphonse's Soul Timer then reacted and his body jerked in pain. Edward quickly sat up since he had all his strength back and watched in horror as Alphonse cried out.

Edward – Al!

Alphonse managed to open his eyes and find the strength to keep smiling at Edward.

Alphonse – Nii-san… Can I ask you… one more thing…?

Edward continued to cry as he nodded.

Alphonse – When we meet again… Don't let me know that it's you, Nii-san…

Edward eyes widened with shock once again.

Edward – Wh-what are you saying, Al…?

Alphonse – You know me… If I knew that you were a magical contractor, it would only further encourage me to become one too. If you keep it a secret that you're my brother… then maybe, there's a better chance…

Edward still looked shocked.

Alphonse – I'm sorry… It's too hard, right…? I know it's too much to ask for…

Edward – No!

Alphonse looked up at Edward surprisingly and saw the fire burning in his eyes, marking his determination.

Edward – Don't worry! I'll do it! I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from contracting! Even if it means doing something like this…

Alphonse – Nii-san…

Alphonse's body jerked again as his Soul Timer reacted once more.

Alphonse – Hurry, Nii-san! Turn back time now!

Edward – Now?! But…!

Alphonse – It's all right…

Alphonse managed to slowly lift up his right arm and grip his Soul Timer tightly.

Alphonse – Even like this… I still have enough strength…

Edward watched as Alphonse turned his hand around so that his Soul Timer was facing the ground. Then he quickly gasped and widened his eyes in horror once more, understanding what Alphonse was trying to do. Edward quickly grabbed his brother's hand to try to stop him.

Edward – No, Al! Don't do this to yourself! I can't let you-

Alphonse – Please, Nii-san!

Alphonse managed to smile once more, but his eyes still shed tears and held a great amount of fear.

Alphonse – I don't want to become a wraith either… There are plenty of awful… and sad things in this world, but… like equivalent exchange… there are lots… of things… worth protecting too. I know… you feel the same way, Nii-san…

Edward continued to cry.

Edward – Al!

Alphonse – Don't worry… It'll be fine. Believe in me… Nii-san…

Hearing those same words from Alphonse caused Edward to cry even more, but he didn't take his eyes off his brother. Edward then let go of Alphonse's hand, transformed into his magical contractor outfit, and held out his armored arm. He let out a devastating cry of frustration and anguish, as he activated his time mechanism just as Alphonse slammed his Soul Timer onto the ground.

* * *

Edward was then shown lying in his bed again wide-awake. His eyes were completely filled with several different emotions as the memories and the lessons from the past timelines played over and over again through his head. Then, he quickly got straight out of bed and headed for the bathroom while narrowing and hardening his eyes.

Edward – (No one will believe me about the future.)

Edward then stopped walking, rose up his right arm, and clenched it into a tight fist as he stared at it.

Edward – (No one can accept the truth about the future.)

Edward then kicked the door to his bathroom open with his left foot, but he didn't feel any pain this time, indicating that his limbs weren't giving him trouble anymore. He brushed his long hair, and put it into his usual braid as he deeply stared at his reflection with pure determination as the fire continued burning in his eyes.

Edward – (Then, I…)

A day had passed and it was now the night Alphonse usually made his contract with Kyubey. Alphonse was shown sitting at his desk in his room looking through some photo albums, but then he sharply turned around once he heard some footsteps outside his window.

Alphonse – Who's there?!

Edward was standing outside Alphonse's window, looking straight at him with a hard gaze. He was in his magical contractor clothes, wearing his hood over his head while standing slightly in the dark, to make sure Alphonse didn't completely see him.

Edward – Alphonse Elric… If someone comes to you offering a miracle in exchange for something… you absolutely must not listen to him!

Outside, Edward was holding a dead Kyubey by his scruff, indicating that he must have killed the incubator before he made contact with Alphonse, who looked at Edward confusedly.

Alphonse – What? Who are…?

Edward left before Alphonse could finish. The next day, he was back in Tokyo and talking with Hohenheim at the kitchen table. Hohenheim then looked surprised once he heard Edward's request.

Hohenheim – What? You want to return to East City?

Edward – There's something I have to do back home. But I can't let Al know I'm coming back. That's why I was thinking about living on my own under a different name.

Hohenheim then narrowed his eyes.

Hohenheim – What is it that you have to do exactly, Ed?

Edward looked down without answering.

Hohenheim – Ed, answer me.

Edward – I can't tell you.

Hohenheim – Why?

Edward – Please, Dad. Try to understand.

Hohenheim looked deep into Edward's eyes for a moment, neither of them changing their expressions.

Hohenheim – Are you really sure about this?

Edward – Yes.

Hohenheim sighed and smiled.

Hohenheim – You are my son all right.

Edward looked surprised.

Hohenheim – I don't know what's going on, but it must be something really important, isn't it?

Edward nodded.

Hohenheim – I understand. I trust you, Ed.

Edward smiled and for a moment, looked happy again.

Edward – Thank you, Dad.

A large military base was then shown and Edward was in his magical contractor clothes again, walking towards the base while time was stopped. He passed by many soldiers who were frozen in time, but he didn't stop to smirk or make funny faces at them this time, he just ignored them as he calmly walked by with his hardened but determined expression. Edward easily got inside the base and he entered a weapon's room that contained many powerful and highly destructive weapons.

Edward – (I won't rely on anyone anymore!)

Edward was then shown in another labyrinth, walking on what looked like a large roulette wheel platform that was spinning around slowly and designed with murky colors and patterns. All the familiars were frozen since Edward had stopped time again. They looked like birds except for they had men's bodies and legs, along with their obscure designed bird heads, wings, and tails.

Edward – (I don't care if no one understands me, either!)

Edward continued to glare hardly and determinedly as he leaped into the air and let his thought's wander back to what Roy said to him and Alphonse when they first defeated Patrick together.

_Roy__ – __Working together allows you to combine your powers and strengths, thus giving you more advantages over your opponents than when you're alone. Be sure to remember that, you two._

Edward frowned sadly for a moment before he once again hardened his gaze, pulled out a machine gun that was enchanted from his magic due to its similar designs to his other weapons, and loaded it. Then he landed on one of the frozen familiars and fired at his target while keeping his eyes locked on the wraith or witch he was aiming at. Edward stopped firing and all the bullets he shot were shown frozen in time right in front of what looked like a giant birdcage with the lower half of a man's body trapped inside. Runes were seen below the birdcage, which Edward read as, Robert, The Birdcage Wraith.

Edward – (I won't let Al fight anymore.)

Edward resumed time and all his bullets shot straight at Robert and broke his cage, leaving his body without any protection. Then Edward stopped time again just as he pulled the trigger off another one of his enchanted grenades and threw it at Robert right before he jumped down to the ground and landed on his feet.

Edward – (I will finish off every last wraith and witch myself if I have to…)

As Edward walked away, he resumed time again and Robert exploded, causing the labyrinth to disappear.

Edward – (And this time… I will defeat Walpurgisnacht… with my own hands!)

* * *

The day of Walpurgisnacht came again, Edward was fighting alone and he was standing on one of the buildings the huge witch hadn't destroyed yet. Alphonse had come to watch the battle as well, but he didn't think that the situation would look so terrible as he stared at the giant witch with fear and horror in his eyes. Alphonse then gasped once he saw where Edward was. Just then, Edward leaped into the air and glided towards Walpurgisnacht, but one of the broken buildings being held in the air came crashing down towards him. He stopped in midair once he saw the building coming his way, but just as he did, the building slammed upon him and crashed into the building he was just standing on. However, in a flash of golden light, Edward reappeared at the side of the building completely unharmed, indicating that he stopped time to avoid the attack. But as he glided through the air, streams of fire came roaming in his direction. He managed to dodge two of them, and he blocked the third one by stretching out his armored arm in front of him to create a barrier shield. Alphonse painfully watched Edward struggle in fighting Walpurgisnacht, knowing that he needed help.

Alphonse – Oh no!

Kyubey – There's no helping it. This was too much for him to handle alone. But he came here knowing that.

Alphonse looked to his side to see Kyubey, who was watching the battle along with him. He then turned his gaze back to the battle to see Edward running towards Wulpurgisnacht, but a blast of fire sent him tumbling through the air and crashing into one of the branches of the giant tree.

Alphonse – No way! This shouldn't be happening!

Edward regained consciousness as he lay against the tree branch and he looked down to see Alphonse staring in his direction. Edward's face filled with worry and fear once he saw Alphonse.

Edward – Al! Don't listen to anything he says!

Despite Edward having an incredibly strong voice, Alphonse couldn't hear his loud and desperate pleas to stop him. Kyubey then faced Alphonse.

Kyubey – If he gives up, it's over. But you have the power to change fate itself…

Alphonse looked at Kyubey curiously.

Kyubey – All this inevitable destruction and tragedy… You can change it, if you want. The power to do so lies within you.

Alphonse stepped forward a little and once again his eyes filled with curiosity.

Alphonse – Is that true?

Edward was now falling, but he still tried calling out to Alphonse.

Edward – Don't let him trick you! You're falling right into his trap!

Alphonse, however still couldn't hear Edward as he watched him fall down through the air.

Alphonse – Can someone like me really do something to help? Could I really prevent everything from turning out this way?

Kyubey – Of course you could. So make a contract with me… and become a magical contractor!

Alphonse looked down unsure for a moment, then he looked up again with fierce determination in his eyes. Edward cried out even more than he ever did before as he fell and watched Alphonse turn to Kyubey.

Edward – DON'T DO IIIIIITTTTTTT!

Edward could do nothing but stare in horror as the golden/white light erupted from Alphonse. He had failed again.

* * *

The battle was over, but the sky was still grey and there was a massive creature that looked like a black mountain hiding in the clouds behind East City.

Kyubey – He was really amazing when he transformed, wasn't he? That Alphonse…

Kyubey was shown staring at the large creature while sitting at the edge of one of the giant tree's platforms, which was now lying in the water flooding the ruins in the area. Edward was on the same plateform, sitting on his knees, facing away from Kyubey, letting the wind blow his braid over his head, and staring blankly at the ground, trying to let himself feel numb even though inside he was devastated that he couldn't save Alphonse again.

Kyubey – I estimated that he would become the most powerful magical contractor in the world… but to think he would take down Walpurgisnacht with a single shot…!

Edward's blank expression didn't change and he didn't look up.

Edward – I bet you did know what would happen to him as a result though, didn't you?

Kyubey – Be it sooner or later, there is only one ending for you magical contractors. As the strongest of all magical contractors, he took down his greatest enemy. Naturally, after that, all that was left for him was to turn into the wickedest of all wraiths…

The giant mountain like-being behind East City was recognized as the same wraith that was born from Alphonse in the second timeline. Although he couldn't be seen very clearly due to all the dark clouds, the wraith looked much larger than he did when Edward first saw him. His runes then appeared in front of him saying, Ozone, The Wraith of Salvation.

Kyubey – As he is now, I imagine it will only take Alphonse about 10 days to destroy this entire planet. Oh, well. What happens next is mankind's problem, not ours. We've got all the energy we need now. Our quota is almost met.

Edward stood up and stood still for a moment before he turned to his right and walked away. Kyubey turned around confusedly once he heard Edward's footsteps.

Kyubey – Aren't you going to fight him?

Edward didn't turn around and just kept walking.

Edward – No. This is not my battlefield.

Kyubey then stared at Edward in realization.

Kyubey – Edward Chrono… you're-!

Edward activated his time compartment before Kyubey could finish and he kept walking with a determined expression as the future disappeared and was replaced by the sight of his compartment's inner mechanism functioning, representing Edward leaving the future as he went back in time once more.

Edward – (Repeat… I'll keep keep going back and do it over, no matter how many times it takes…)

Kyubey was then shown cornered up in a dark hallway and he let out a cry of shock as a beam of golden light struck him and blew up his body. Edward gazed at Kyubey with a hard and cold glare as he watched the incubator blow up. Another one of Kyubey's bodies then ran behind Edward, who quickly turned around once he heard the small patter of feet. Kyubey quickly ran away and Edward chased after him.

Edward – (I'll relive the same time over and over… until I find the one way out.)

Edward sent more beams of light after Kyubey, who managed to dodge most of them. Edward narrowed his eyes even more as he continued to chase and attack Kyubey.

Edward – (I swear I'll find the one road that will save you… That will save everyone from a destiny of despair. Winry, Mustang, Hawkeye, and…)

Edward ran around a corner but then quickly stopped and gasped. Alphonse had wandered into the dark hallways and found Kyubey's injured body. Edward watched his brother gasp once he saw Kyubey, run over to him, kneel down, and pick him up. The chains being held up in front of Alphonse then fell down and the sound of the clang caused him to sharply look up and see Edward. His expression was hard again, but what Alphonse couldn't see was the large pang of sadness showing in Edward's eyes as well.

Edward – (Alphonse… My precious little brother.)

Alphonse stared at Edward confusedly and a bit nervously as well.

Alphonse – Edward…?

Edward let out a tiny gasp once he heard Alphonse's innocent and scared voice, causing him to back away in fear. But then he stopped, clenched his armored fist, narrowed his eyes in determination again, and confidently walked towards Alphonse.

Edward – (If it's for your sake… If it's for everyone's sake… Then I don't care if I have to stay locked in this endless maze… forever!)

Edward continued to walk towards Alphonse, and the events of the present timeline unfolded.

* * *

**WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT!**

**So, what did you think? Did I make it emotional enough? I put in extra scenes and lines that I thought of myself and got from other puella magi references such as the drama cds. I thought those elements would be necessary for this chapter.**

**As you can see, I did unfortunately make Edward the one to kill Elicia, but he did say that wraiths and witches are not human even if magical contractors are, and he did say that killing Elicia would be the best way to free Winry, So I think it was okay for him to do that. But I didn't want to make Ed kill Al even out of mercy because that would just be too cruel. Obviously Edward would never hide his identity from Alphonse unless he himself requested it, so that's what I did, and even if it seems out of Al's character to ask something like that, he was lying on the ground, scared and about to die and become a wraith, so it makes sense if his mind was not working properly.**

**In case you're confused, Ed and Al's past before the events in the first timeline was that Ed, Al, and Winry were all best friends as children and they all grew up together until Ed was 11 years old and Al was 10 years old, which was when Trisha and Hohenheim separated because their jobs were very different and got in the way of their marriage. Edward went with Hohenheim and Alphonse stayed with Trisha.**

**Also, as you may notice in this chapter, Roy can create bursts of fire by snapping his fingers much like how he does in the original anime, however in this story, the bursts of fire he creates from snapping don't go as far as his bullets do and they can easily get out of control, so he uses muskets to get better aim and range.**

**Anyway, that's all for now. I hope I satisfied everyone who was waiting so long for this chapter. Thank you and until the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, well, well… What have we here…**

**Is it what I think it is? That's right! We are officially up to… ****EPISODE ELEVEN!**

**Only ONE more chapter to go and this story is COMPLETE! But don't worry, I promise you it won't be the end. But what am I doing keeping you here, reading this intro description, and preventing you from reading the next chapter?**

**LET'S GET ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

It was night, Edward was in his living room, once again reviewing all his notes and battle plans for Walpurgisnacht, but he wasn't alone.

Kyubey – Edward Chrono… Or should I say… Time-traveler, Edward Elric… Older brother of Alphonse Elric… By turning back time and changing past events, you have traversed numerous different timelines… and relived this past month over and over, seeking the outcome you desire.

Edward was once again glaring at Kyubey hardly and coldly, but he didn't reply.

Kyubey – Your existence has answered at least one great mystery: Why is Alphonse Elric's potential as a magical contractor so abnormally vast? Now, at last, I have a theory that explains it.

Edward narrowed his eyes even more as he listened to Kyubey.

Kyubey – You see, a magical contractor's potential… is based on the weight of the karmic destiny he bears. I could've understood if he had been the king or savior of a country. But Alphonse was only living an ordinary life with his mother, while your father left and took you with him due to a business transfer. With only having that much of an amount of karmic destiny to begin with, I couldn't understand why… so many threads of fate should all be gathered so tightly around him. But now I think… Say, Edward… Couldn't it be… that Alphonse has been made into such a powerful magical contractor… because you kept turning back time?

Edward's eyes widened in complete shock and confusion. Kyubey's smile then looked like it grew slightly bigger.

Kyubey – I thought so. You were the cause of it. Or to be more precise, a side effect of your magic was the cause of it.

Edward – What do you mean?

Kyubey – All this time reversal you did was all for one purpose, wasn't it? To save Alphonse Elric? By turning back time over and over for the same purpose and reason… you inadvertently caused multiple timelines to converge together… and centered them all on the existence of Alphonse Elric. If Alphonse's threads of fate from each of those separate timelines… all ended up linking to the Alphonse in this current timeline… it would explain why his magical potential appears so impossibly huge.

A vision of Alphonse hanging in the air in front of a gear with a clock on it that was ticking due to being powered by an entire mechanism of gears that were spinning behind the clock gear was shown. Alphonse appeared to be asleep and he was being hung by a bunch of small white threads that were tied to his arms, legs, and body, symbolizing all the threads of fate that were attached to him.

Kyubey – All that karmic destiny you set spinning in all those different timelines… eventually attached to Alphonse Elric. After all, he was the main culprit of every event.

Edward clenched his fists tightly and looked down at the ground with absolute horror.

Kyubey – Excellent work, Edward. You've made Alphonse into the most powerful wraith we've ever seen.

* * *

The next day, it was raining and many people were gathered together to attend Winry's funeral service. The reporting of her death was also currently being broadcasted.

Random Reporter – The body of East City Public Middle School 2nd-year student, Winry Rockbell, who had been missing since the 12th of this month, was discovered today in a room at a downtown hotel.

Alphonse, May, Izumi, Edward, everyone else in their class, and many friends of Winry's family were all attending the service. Gracia and Maes were shown attending the service as well, indicating that they must have come back from America as soon as they were informed of Winry's death. Alphonse looked especially sad out of everyone attending the service, since he knew he and Edward were the only ones who knew what really happened to Winry.

Random Reporter – As there were no signs of violence present at the scene of the crime, both murder and accidental death are being considered by the police. Up next, the weather forecast. Tonight, expect moderate winds from the northwest and rain.

Alphonse returned home and Trisha was waiting for him with a smile on her face.

Trisha – Welcome home.

Alphonse went inside without replying, indicating that he was still very upset.

Trisha – Al… About Winry-chan's case… Are you sure you don't know anything about it?

Alphonse – Yeah.

Alphonse walked to his room without saying anything else. Trisha watched him walk away worriedly and suspiciously, knowing that there was something he wasn't telling her. Alphonse was then shown lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Alphonse – Now both Winry and Hawkeye-san are dead…

Kubey then suddenly appeared, sitting on Alphonse's bookshelf again.

Kyubey – It wasn't exactly an unexpected outcome. The signs had been there for quite some time.

Alphonse sat up and glared at Kyubey angrily.

Alphonse – And you don't even care, do you? Even though you're partially to blame for their deaths.

Kyubey sighed.

Kyubey – Then, for example, do you feel responsible for the deaths of livestock? Do you ever think about the process by which they become foodstuffs for you?

Alphonse looked into Kyubey's eyes curiously and saw visions of animals such as cows, chickens, and pigs being contained and readied to kill and cook. Alphonse's eyes widened in horror from the visions and he grabbed his head with both of his hands as he stared down at his bed, horrified.

Alphonse – Stop it!

Kyubey – That's not a rational reaction. If you think these scenes are cruel, then you're missing the big picture completely.

Alphonse continued to stare in horror as Kyubey continued to show him more visions.

Kyubey – Because they are slated to become food for humans, livestock are fed and provided for all their lives… and given equal chance to reproduce free from natural selection. Cows, pigs, and even chickens… have an overwhelmingly higher rate of survival in capacity than in the wild. So isn't it actually… a rather ideal, mutually beneficial relationship for you both?

Alphonse – Are you saying it's the same between you and us?

Kyubey – On the contrary, our treatment of humankind… is much more respectful than your treatment of livestock. Perhaps it isn't perfect, but we do acknowledge your species as sentient and try to deal fairly with you.

Alphonse didn't say anything and glared at Kyubey once again.

Kyubey – You can't believe that? Then shall I show it to you? Shall I show you the history spent together by mankind and Incubators?

Alphonse's eyes widened with horror again as he saw Kyubey's eyes begin to glow. Suddenly, Alphonse found himself inside what seemed like the actual world of all the visions and memories of magical contractors. He was too shocked to do anything but watch the scenes unravel before his very eyes and pour into his brain all at once.

Kyubey – This is the "Truth" of the development of the human civilization. We Incubators have intervened with your kind since prehistoric times. Countless boys, girls, men, and women throughout time have made contracts with Incubators, had their wishes granted… and then ultimately succumbed to despair.

Alphonse gasped as he saw multiple images of many important and ordinary people throughout history that were revealed to have all been magical contractors themselves.

Kyubey – Beginning in hope and then ending in a curse… that is the cycle that countless magical contractors have repeated to this day. There are some who have wrought revolutions that changed history… or elevated human society to new stages of development.

Alphonse began to cry again as the visions kept pouring into him. He then shut his eyes and grabbed his head with both of his hands again.

Alphonse – Please, stop! It's too much! They all trusted you! They all trusted you, and you betrayed them!

Kyubey – It wasn't we who betrayed them, but their own prayers that did. All hopes are wishes for something other than the current reality, after all. And anything that doesn't match reality is bound to create a distortion. So why is it surprising that these things always end in disaster?

Alphonse opened his eyes and stared into space horrifiedly as his hands slowly fell from his head and he let his body go completely numb.

Kyubey – If they considered such a natural outcome to be a "betrayal," they were wrong to have made wishes at all. Not that I am calling them foolish. After all, it was thanks to their sacrifices… that human society has developed as far as it has.

Alphonse then seemed to return to his bedroom as the visions ended. He was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping down his face as he continued to stare into space, horrified by everything he had just seen and all the information that was now swirling through his head.

Kyubey – All the tears shed throughout history… have laid the foundations of the life you have now.

Alphonse stared at his hands in horror as tears began to leak down his face again.

Kyubey – If you understand now, why are you still holding the fates of a few individuals to be so precious?

Alphonse then looked at Kyubey again.

Alphonse – All the time you spent watching over those people… did you really feel nothing for them at all? Didn't you ever try to understand how much they were suffering?

Kyubey – If we had the capacity to comprehend such things, we wouldn't have had to come to your planet in the first place. In our society, the phenomenon known as "emotion" is only considered a mental disease. That's why, when we discovered humankind, we were quite surprised. We never imagined a world could exist… in which every individual had its own set of emotions… and still somehow managed to coexist with others!

Alphonse – Then… If you had never come to Earth…

Kyubey – Most likely, you would all still be living naked in caves. That is the "Truth."

* * *

More time had passed, but it was still raining. Trisha and Izumi were shown talking and sitting together in a restaurant.

Trisha – So… how do you feel about all this?

Izumi – You of all people should know. It really does hurt, losing one of my students this way…

Trisha – Yeah… Especially that it was Winry-chan.

Izumi – We still don't even know what really happened to her… One of the teachers is still missing as well… Everyone was in an uproar at the last staff meeting.

Trisha – No one knew anything, then?

Izumi – Yes. I heard that Winry was going through some problems with her family at the time. Apparently her mother left for America with her fiancé for a business trip and left her home by herself. I wonder how hard they're taking it?

Trisha looked down sadly.

Izumi – This kind of situation… should've just passed with some heartache and bittersweet memories. But since it ended this way…

Trisha then looked back up at Izumi.

Izumi – The police are going to rule it an accidental death… exacerbated by mental stress after running away from home. They don't have any leads to go on.

Trisha – It's too similar… I never wanted anyone to make the same mistake we did… And now this has happened. Do you know if Ed's taking it well?

Izumi – Ed hasn't been himself since he came back. He transferred under a different name, never told us of his real identity, and he rarely shows his true emotions anymore. That fire still flickers in his eyes… but it's clouded by a bitter darkness I've seen before that mostly doesn't wash away.

Trisha – It's just like Van told me. When he called and told me that Ed was coming back… I couldn't understand when he told me to keep it a secret. He said that Ed had something he needed to do, but he wouldn't say what it was. Van said that Ed especially didn't want the people closest to him to know about it… so he decided it was safer if he pretended to be a different person. The only other person who could know besides us was you…

Izumi – But I still had to pretend everyday that I didn't.

Izumi then narrowed her eyes out of annoyance.

Izumi – Ed really should have known better than to think he could fool me. I can recognize his face even from a far distance. That moron.

Izumi then softened her eyes again.

Izumi – How's Al taking all of this?

Trisha looked down sadly again.

Trisha – I don't know. My heart tells me he knows something about what happened. But he doesn't seem to be lying to me either. What kind of a mother am I? How could I have let things get so bad… that now both of my own sons are keeping secrets from me?

Izumi – I see. It's the same at school… For a while now, something has seemed a little off about Al. I can tell something's weighing on his mind, but he hasn't come to talk to me about it like usual. This is the first time… that I haven't been able to tell what either of those boys are thinking. I thought I taught them better than this… Don't they know they can always rely on us if no one else?

Trisha looked at Izumi sympathetically.

Trisha – It's rare to see you so at a loss over what to do, Izumi-san…

Izumi – They say it gets hard with kids at their age… You turn around one day, and suddenly, they're all grown up. It must be a pretty big shock to a parent.

Trisha smiled a little.

Trisha – You're certainly right about that. And at that point, we've got no choice but to trust them. Perhaps what Ed and Al truly need right now… is a little time to get a handle on their true feelings. All we can do at the moment is give them that time.

Izumi narrowed her eyes in annoyance again.

Izumi – It's so hard not being able to do anything.

Trisha – You never were good at just sitting by and waiting, were you, Izumi-san?

Izumi – Well, neither were you, Trisha.

* * *

Later on that night, it was still raining and Alphonse was standing in front of Edward's house. He rang the doorbell and Edward opened the door just a little to see who it was. He looked a little surprised once he saw that it was Alphonse, who was soaking wet from walking in the rain without an umbrella.

Alphonse – Hey, can I come in?

Edward nodded. Alphonse was now standing in Edward's living room, looking at all of his notes on Walpurgisnacht. Edward then walked into the room while carrying a dry towel.

Edward – Here.

Alphonse – Thank you.

Alphonse took the towel and dried himself off, then he gestured to Edward's notes.

Alphonse – Is that… Walpurgisnacht? Hawkeye-san told me about it. She said it was a witch so strong that one person couldn't beat it alone, so the two of you teamed up to fight it together. So you've been preparing for it here all this time?

Edward glanced at Alphonse slightly, causing him to back away a little, but he quickly shook away his nervousness and stepped forward again.

Alphonse – Will the city be in danger?

Edward – Unlike the other wraiths and witches you've seen, this witch is powerful enough that it doesn't need to hide in a labyrinth. If it manifests even once, thousands of people will die. Since ordinary humans can't see it, they'll think the destruction was caused by an earthquake, tornado, or other disaster.

Alphonse – Then it has to be defeated no matter what, right?

Edward turned his head more towards Alphonse, knowing what he was going to imply.

Alphonse – Now that Hawkeye-san's dead too… you're the only magical contractor left who can fight it. So maybe I-

Edward hardened his gaze even more.

Edward – I can do it on my own. Maybe Riza Hawkeye couldn't have defeated Walpurgisnacht by herself, but I can. I actually never needed her help. I just agreed so that she wouldn't lose face.

Alphonse looked down sadly.

Alphonse – That's a lie…

Edward looked startled.

Alphonse – I know that's a lie. I can tell just by looking in your eyes, Edward.

Alphonse stepped forward and looked straight at Edward with narrowed eyes.

Alphonse – Why do you always try to do things by yourself even when you need help from others? Why do you push people away when you need them the most?!

Edward – You…

Alphonse – Stop making excuses! I know now! Edward… you're… you're… my older brother aren't you?!

Edward's eyes widened with shock for a moment, then he turned away from Alphonse.

Edward – When did you figure it out?

Alphonse – I suspected you when you from the start when you first transferred. Even though the name was different, the resemblance was unmistakable when it came to your appearance. I quickly abandoned and even forgot my suspicions when I first talked to you and especially when I found out about the magical contractors. Everything about you from your harsh words to your cold eyes made it too unbelievable to even consider. But then… When you stopped me from contracting and I touched your hand…

Alphonse paused for a moment and his eyes began to water before he narrowed them again.

Alphonse – There was no mistake… Even after four years, there's no way I wouldn't recognize that warmth. The same warmth I felt every time we held hands when we were little kids!

Alphonse was silent again, indicating that he was finished. Edward then took a small glance at him before he turned away again.

Edward – I see… I guess that makes sense.

Alphonse – Why?! Why did you hide yourself from me for so long?! Why didn't you tell me or Winry that it was you?! Do you have any idea how much we've missed you?!

Edward didn't say anything; his eyes were completely covered by his bangs. Alphonse then began to cry again.

Alphonse – What happened to you? Why aren't you telling me anything? You were always the one person in the world I trusted more than anyone else. Even now, I still really want to believe what you're saying is true.

Edward continued to stay silent and more tears started to flow from Alphonse's eyes.

Alphonse – But, I just can't believe you're really going to be all right on your own. You even know it yourself, don't you?

Edward gritted his teeth, then he stepped forward and gripped both of his hands into tight fists.

Edward – How am I supposed to tell you how I really feel?

Alphonse then looked at Edward surprisingly.

Edward – After all… I'm… I'm not… even living in the same time that you are, Al!

Edward turned around and Alphonse gasped in surprise once he saw the tears streaming heavily down his face. His expression had finally broken down, revealing all the pain and sadness he had been trying to hide. Edward then quickly ran over to Alphonse and pulled him into a tight hug, which shocked him even more. As shocked as Alphonse was, he focussed all his attention on the familiar warmth of Edward's body. There was no mistake… This is his older brother.

Alphonse – Nii… san?

Edward hugged Alphonse even tighter and he began to cry even more, finally allowing his tears to soak his face after holding them back for such a long time.

Edward – It's been so long… You have no idea how long I've wanted… to hear you call me that again, Al.

Alphonse – What?

Edward – You see… I came from the future. When I first saw you again after Mom and Dad separated… Dad's company had transferred back to East City. I got lost in a witch's labyrinth… but I was saved by you and Mustang.

Alphonse then looked even more surprised.

Edward – You became a magical contractor because you wished to see me again. During that time, I couldn't have been any happier. But then, Walpurgisnacht came… and both you and Mustang were killed. That's when I made the contract… I wished to go back and save you. But you turned into a wraith instead. When I tried again, Winry and Hawkeye had also joined us… but everyone died when they found out the truth. And I failed to save you again.

Alphonse – N-no way…

Edward – In order to keep you from making the contract, I hid my real identity from you for countless timelines… I've met you and everyone over and over again, and each and every time, I've had to watch you all die. What do I have to do to save you? What do I have to do to change your fate? In order to find that answer, I've kept redoing this month countless times.

Alphonse – Nii-san, are you serious? You really lived through all of that?

Edward – I'm sorry… This whole time, I really wanted to tell you. After all, to you… I was just some transfer student you've barely known for a month. But to me… Al, you're… more precious to me than any miracle I could ever possibly wish for.

Alphonse's eyes widened even more.

Edward – The more times I redo all this, the further in time I drift from everyone. Our feelings drift further apart from each other, and my words don't even reach you anymore. The truth is, I think I've been lost for a very long time now.

Alphonse took all of Edward's words to heart, knowing that everything he was saying was true.

Alphonse – Nii-san…

Edward – I will save you. That was the feeling that I started all of this with. And now, it is the only thing I have left to guide me. After all, I've already failed to save everyone again… I can't bear to watch you die anymore.

Edward finally pulled away, but he kept both of his hands on Alphonse's shoulders as he looked into his eyes.

Edward – I know it's hard to understand. I won't blame you if my words still don't reach you. But, please… As your older brother… just let me protect you. Believe in me, Al.

Alphonse felt a large surge of emotions sweep through him as soon as he heard Edward say those words. The two brothers continued to stare into each other's eyes as Alphonse eventually slowly nodded his head.

* * *

The day of Walpurgisnacht's arrival finally came. The sky was incredibly dark due to all the rainclouds and it looked like a very bad storm was coming as the wind quickly spread the clouds everywhere and thunder boomed loudly in the sky. Some meteorologists were currently observing the rate of the weather to see exactly how bad it was.

Random Guy – These thunderclouds are spreading and rotating at unbelievable speeds. There's no doubt about it, a supercell is forming! Issue an evacuation order immediately!

Some policemen were then shown driving throughout East City, reporting the large storm and the evacuation order to all the residents.

Random Reporter – Starting at 7AM this morning… an evacuation order is being issued due to extreme weather conditions. All residents must immediately evacuate to the nearest shelter. This is a public service announcement for East City.

Edward was then shown standing at the same place where Alphonse and Roy were standing before they faced Walpurgisnacht in the first timeline. He was gazing at East City with a determined expression as thunder continued to roar in the sky.

Edward – It's here.

Meanwhile at the evacuation shelter, many people were already set up to spend the night, including Alphonse and Trisha. As Trisha continued to set up their area, Alphonse was sitting down and staring worriedly at the floor, thinking about Edward.

Alphonse – Nii-san…

Edward was shown again, continuing to stare at the city, unfazed even as a strong flash of lighting bolted through the air. The large cloud of fog then quickly appeared and swarmed around him, indicating that Walpurgisnacht had arrived. Edward turned to his left, looked at his right arm, and gripped it into a fist again just before he starting walking deeper into the fog. As he walked, a very small black and red familiar that looked like a bunny with wings and was wearing a dress, ran quickly by his feet. The small familiar however was then quickly crushed by a green elephant's foot. Many familiars that looked like pink and green circus elephants that were pulling different animal cages, as if they were a traveling circus then passed by Edward as well. However, he didn't react at all to them, obviously because he has already seen them a million times by now. A curtain then opened, showing Edward standing right in front of a cloud of parting fog, slowly revealing Walpurgisnacht. Edward watched as the giant witch further revealed herself and began to raise large buildings out of the ground as the 5-second countdown till Walpurgisnacht's true destruction was initiated.

Once the countdown got to zero, Walpurgisnacht had completely shown herself and the buildings she had already raised were quickly set on fire. The giant witch's doll form looked like a woman dressed in a blue dress and a two-pointed hat with a vail attatched to the back and she didn't have any eyes though she did have a mouth. Her entire appearance itself looked like a clown. Edward then transformed into his magical contractor clothes and stared at the massive witch with pure determination.

Edward – This time…

Edward then swung both of his arms out to create a gust of wind in order to blow his red coat back, allowing about a hundred enchanted Swedish and Russian anti-tanks he was keeping inside it to stand on the ground all around him.

Edward – I'll put an end to you!

Edward stopped time, raised one of his Swedish tanks and fired it. The missile quickly stopped in time after he fired it. He then threw the tank away and quickly fired a Russian tank as well. He resumed time again after he managed to fire all the tanks he had laid out. Each missile that was frozen in time hit Walpurgisnacht all at once, causing her to be blown back a little. The large witch flew around, shooting fire from her mouth as she laughed her evil and maniacle laugh. Edward then quickly ran by a bunch of enchanted British smoothbore mortars and set them all off. Each of the fired ammunition hit Walpurgisnacht as well, causing her to float down between two large towers that Edward had planned for her to float down to. He then pressed a switch on a small remote he was holding, causing a bunch of enchanted explosives strapped to the bottom of the towers to set off. Both towers fell straight on top of Walpurgisnacht and knocked her down a little, but she just kept laughing and blew more fire from her mouth to free herself. Edward was then shown riding on top of an enchanted tanker truck that was glowing with golden light, due to being controlled by his magic. He had his armored hand placed on the truck and his magic circle was shown underneath his feet. The truck then drove up a railing straight towards Walpurgisnacht, but Edward quickly jumped off the truck just before it hit the large witch, causing a massive explosion. He soon landed on something sitting in the water, which then rose up and was revealed to be an enchanted truck mounted battery of anti-ship missiles, which were glowing with golden light from being controlled by his magic as well. Edward glared hardly at Walpurgisnacht just before he fired his missiles, which made a direct hit on her and caused her to fly backwards and crash into the ground, where about a million enchanted high-teals explosives were waiting for her. Each of the small bombs lit up and set off all around Walpurgisnacht, causing another massive explosion.

Edward stared at the smoke and the fire that was left as a result from the explosion at a far distance. He had plenty of experience to know that Walpurgisnacht couldn't easily be brought down, so he had to make sure if she was really dead or not. Suddenly, a blackish/purple light shot swiftly out of the smoke, causing Edward to widen his eyes in shock. The black substance was so fast, it didn't give him any time to get out of the way as is struck him and sent him flying. The black substance then separated into multiple parts and formed into a bunch of laughing boys and girls that had similar appearances to magical contractors. Edward let out a cry as he flew through the air and hit the ground, but he managed to roll backwards and get back onto his feet. He then gritted his teeth as he looked at the blackish/purple boys and girls flying in the sky.

Edward – Damn it! I forgot about the familiars!

Edward then widened his eyes once he saw Walpurgisnacht emerge from the remaining flames. The large witch didn't even look like she was any where near being defeated yet. Edward narrowed his eyes even more as he stared at her.

Edward – I thought you would've been able to endure that. If it were really that easy to take you down, I would've defeated you countless timelines ago.

Edward then stood up, clapped his hands and his blade formed on his armored arm.

Edward – But it's no big deal. I'll just keep beating you till you're left as nothing but a pile of dust!

Edward jumped into the air and lifted his armored arm up, preparing to strike.

* * *

Back at the evacuation shelter, the roof began to shake a little, which startled many people. Trisha looked up at the ceiling worriedly, but Alphonse kept looking down at the ground. He then closed his eyes and stood up.

Trisha – What's wrong, Al?

Alphonse looked back at Trisha and gave a small smile.

Alphonse – I just need to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back.

Alphonse walked away and Trisha watched him go. Izumi, who wasn't set up too far from them, also watched him leave with a suspicious look on her face. Alphonse was then shown standing in front of the shelter's large windows, watching the storm brew on outside. Kyubey was sitting beside him on a railing, watching the storm as well.

Alphonse – Do you think Nii-san can truly win by himself?

Kyubey – Even if I tell you no, would you believe me anyway? At this point, explanations are pointless. You should go and see for yourself. See how well Edward Elric is faring against Walpurgisnacht.

Alphonse turned towards Kyubey.

Alphonse – Nii-san's always been like this… Whenever he decides something, he won't rest until he's accomplished it. He hates running away and sometimes he even blames himself if he can't protect the people he cares about. But I can't imagine what it must have been like for him… Being forced to watch everyone he cares about die over and over again in every one of those timelines. How can he still push himself that hard to fight?

Kyubey – Because he still hasn't given up hope.

Alphonse's eyes widened and Kyubey turned towards him as well.

Kyubey – If things go badly, he'll probably just negate this timeline and try again. He'll stubbornly continue his battle, restarting this meaningless chain of events over and over. Because at this point, it is no longer possible for him to stop or give up.

Alphonse – What?

Kyubey – Of course it might even be impossible for him to once again restart another timeline knowing that by doing so, it will only further increase the amount of karmic destiny linked to your fate.

Alphonse looked at Kyubey curiously and worriedly.

Kyubey – The moment he acknowledges that everything he has done is pointless, and your fate is impossible to change, Edward Elric will fall into despair and turn into a set of Grief Gears.

A vision that was similar to one with Alphonse being hung by his threads of fate in front of a clock ticking on a gear was shown; except for it was Edward who was being hung by the threads of fate this time. His body then turned black and transformed into a set of Grief Gears. The clock ticking on the gear then split in half and fell along with all the other gears that were functioning the clock, leaving only the Grief Gears floating in the air.

Kyubey – He knows that as well. And that's why he has no choice. Whether he has any hope of winning or not, Edward must continue to fight.

Alphonse looked shocked and sad.

Alphonse – So you're saying that as long as he continues to hope, he can't be saved?

Kyubey – That's right. It's just as it was for all the other magical contractors in the past. Alphonse, you saw the "Truth" as well, didn't you?

Alphonse's eyes widened as the visions of the past magical contractors came rolling through his brain again. He then covered his face with his hands and he began to cry a little.

Alphonse – But… But…! But…!

Alphonse wiped his eyes and stared outside in determination, then he turned to his left and started to head down the stairs, but a hand grabbed his right arm. Alphonse let out a tiny gasp and turned his head a little to see that it was Trisha who had stopped him.

Alphonse – Mom?

Izumi – Where do you think you're going, Al?

Alphonse looked up in surprise to see Izumi walking up behind Trisha.

Alphonse – Sensei? I have to go to save a friend.

Izumi – Leave it to the firefighters. Civilians need to stay here.

Alphonse – But-

Trisha – There's no way you're going anywhere in that storm, Al. As your mother, I forbid you from going outside.

Alphonse narrowed his eyes, then he pulled his arm away from Trisha and turned sharply around to face her.

Alphonse – It has to be me!

Trisha then narrowed her eyes and slapped Alphonse across his face, which really surprised Izumi. Normally Trisha didn't react this way even when she was angry.

Trisha – You don't live your life just for yourself, do you understand?! Did you even think about how much we would worry if you went off-

Alphonse – I know.

Trisha stopped shouting and both she and Izumi stayed silent as Alphonse turned to face them again while he was still holding his cheek.

Alphonse – I really do understand how you feel. Because I love you both that much too. So I understand how much you both care about me… and I know that I need to take care of myself for your sakes too.

Alphonse lowered his hand and spoke with lots of sureness in his voice, something that Trisha and Izumi knew they wouldn't hear unless he was being really serious.

Alphonse – But this is different. It's because I treasure all of you that I must protect you. And there's someone I treasure very much who's in trouble right now and needs me to protect him no matter what. To do that, there's someplace I need to go right now!

Izumi – And you can't tell us what this is about?

Alphonse nodded his head.

Trisha – Then we're going with you.

Alphonse then shook his head.

Alphonse – No. Sensei, you have to stay and make sure everyone else in our class is safe. And Mom… I need you to watch over May for me.

Trisha and Izumi continued to stare at Alphonse worriedly and unsurely.

Alphonse – Sensei, you told me that Mom raised me just right. I don't tell lies. I don't do bad things. I know you believe that too, Mom. Will you both believe in me now? Will you trust that I'll do the right thing?

Izumi stepped forward, but then Trisha put her hand out to stop her.

Trisha – Are you sure you're not making a mistake? That you're not being misled by anyone's lies?

Alphonse – Yes.

Izumi then stepped forward and pushed Alphonse forward down the stairs.

Izumi – Then get going already. If you're going to help Ed then you'll have to hurry.

Alphonse turned his head around in surprise.

Alphonse – Sensei, how did you-

Aphonse looked into Izumi and Trisha's eyes for a moment before he smiled.

Alphonse – No. Thank you, Mom, Sensei.

Trisha and Izumi watched Alphonse run down the stairs and out of the building.

Trisha – The only person Al's ever been stubborn enough to defend no matter who tried to stop him was his brother. Those two have always had such a strong bond.

Izumi – Perhaps now, it's about to become even stronger.

* * *

Back with Walpurgisnacht, the giant witch was flying all around East City while continuing to laugh and cause more destruction. Edward was shown jumping from building to building, gliding after the giant witch and passing by the familiars that kept surrounding him. He also had a look of concern of his face, knowing that things weren't going so well.

Edward – This isn't good. If I let it get any further… the shelter will be attacked.

Walpurgisnacht created a circle of fireballs around her and she began raising more buildings out of the ground.

Edward – Whatever happens, I have to stop it right here!

More familiars tried to block Edward as he got closer, but he just sliced through them by using his armor blade. Walpurgisnacht then seemed to turn to him and she directed a building to head straight in his direction. Edward landed on a streetlamp once he saw the building coming and he held out his armored arm to stop time, but nothing happened. The sand in the top orb in the mechanism of his armor's compartment had run out. Edward looked down at his armor in shock.

Edward – (No! Time can't be up yet!)

Edward then looked up and gasped as the building crashed into him and then into another building, sending him flying backwards against the wall and causing a bunch of rubble to fall around him. He didn't seem very hurt from the collision, the only injury he appeared to have was a cut over his right eye due to the blood flowing down the right side of his face. Edward opened his eyes once the smoke cleared and he glared up at Walpurgisnact irritatedly.

Edward – Mess with me, will you? Well, I'm not done yet!

Edward tried to stand up but then he suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his left leg, causing his entire body to give out on him and fall back down. He then looked incredibly shocked.

Edward – (What's going on?! I can't move! The last time I felt this pain was when…)

Edward then widened his eyes in realization. He looked down at his leg slowly, hoping that the cause of the pain wasn't what he thought it was, but to his displeasure he was correct. Edward's eyes widened in horror as he stared at his leg.

Edward – (No way! You've got to be kidding me!)

Edward's left leg was trapped and possibly almost crushed under a giant piece of rubble due to all the blood coming from it. He tried to struggle his way out, but the strain his leg was putting on his body prevented him from being able to move much. Edward then gazed back up at Walpurgisnacht.

Edward – Why?! Why can't I win no matter how many times I try…?

Edward could feel himself drifting into unconsciousness, but he quickly pushed away his urges to give into the darkness as he managed to lift his armored arm up with a little struggle. He then started to activate his compartment again but he quickly stopped once he remembered what Kyubey had told him.

Edward – If I repeat this again… I'll only make Al's destiny worse… That's right, in the first timeline Al's potential was equivalent to the amount it should have been from the start. But instead of letting him die, I created a future that turned him into something even worse. Now that I think about it, I even dragged Winry and Hawkeye into this mess when they were never supposed to be a part of it in the first place. And now… because I've made Al so powerful, I've put the life of this entire planet in jeopardy.

Edward looked down at the ground as his expression filled with pain and regret.

Edward – Then in the end… Everything I've done… just made everything worse.

Edward then let his armored arm fall to his side and he began to cry as he finally allowed despair to corrupt him. His Soul Timer was open and sitting beside him, still strapped to his waist. However, the golden inside of the watch began to darken quickly and the counting needle ticked up a higher number every second. As Edward continued to cry, the flames that always burned in his eyes finally began to die out. His Soul Timer had almost completely darkened and a single tear slid down his faced and dropped onto the ground. However, Edward opened his eyes in surprise once he felt a pair of warm hands take hold of his gloved hand. He was even more surprised once he saw that it was Alphonse, who was kneeling down next to him, smiling and watching him with gentle and kind eyes. Edward's Soul Timer was almost completely black except for a small part that was still golden and the counting needle had stopped straight on the number eleven.

Alphonse – It's all right. You've done enough, Nii-san.

Edward – Al…

Alphonse reached into his pocket and took out a napkin he was carrying with him.

Alphonse – You haven't changed one bit, Nii-san. You're still as reckless as ever.

Alphonse cleaned up the blood from Edward's face. Once he was done, he stood up and stared determinedly at Walpurgisnacht. Edward looked up at his brother worriedly, having a feeling he knew what Alphonse was thinking.

Edward – What are you doing?

Edward then looked to Alphonse's side to see Kyubey standing next to him. He then widened his eyes in slight horror.

Edward – Al…! You didn't…!

Alphonse turned around and smiled at Edward again.

Alphonse – Nii-san… I'm sorry. I'm going to become a magical contractor.

* * *

**YES! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! ELEVEN DOWN, ONE TO GO!**

**Like how I added the "Truth" in this episode. When I first began planning this crossover and noticing the similarities between Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the scene where Kyubey shows Madoka the history of the magical girls instantly reminded me of the "Truth," so I decided to use it. I also made sure Izumi knew that it was Ed from the start because, I mean come on guys! This is Izumi Curtis we're talking about! Of course she would know it was Ed right away! And I'm pretty sure she's wanting to give him a good but-whooping for trying to trick her… But only because she cares.**

**Anyway, I really am SOOOOO excited for the final chapter, I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting me all this time, and I will make sure the final episode will be WORTH IT!**

**Don't die yet because I'll be back soon! Thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**BUM DUM DUM DUM DUM DUM DUUUUUMMMMMM!**

**HERE WE ARE FOLKS! THE FINAL EPISODE!**

**Man, time really does sure fly by doesn't it? At last we've reached the moment you all have been waiting for… I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.**

* * *

Alphonse – Nii-san… I'm sorry. I'm going to become a magical contractor.

Edward's face filled with even more horror.

Edward – Al, no! If you do, then you'll…!

Alphonse – I know, Nii-san. But, I still need to do this. I finally found a wish I truly want granted. So I'm going to use my life for it.

Edward looked even more shocked.

Edward – What?! Even now… you're still…?

More tears began to seep from Edward's eyes as he looked down at the ground and shut his eyes in frustration.

Edward – Then… Then what have I been fighting for this whole time?! You big dummy! What was the point of everything I did if you…?!

As Edward began to cry in frustration and sadness, Alphonse walked back over to him, kneeled down, and hugged him.

Alphonse – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Nii-san. But I believe it's because you've protected me for so, so long, that I am the person I am now. I really am sorry.

Edward managed to raise his left hand up and hold onto Alphonse's arm, clinging close to him. Alphonse stood up again, but he let Edward continue to cling onto his hand.

Alphonse – Now it's my turn to protect you. I finally found the answer I've been looking for this whole time. I promise I won't let everything that you've done for me go to waste. Believe in me, Nii-san.

Edward – Al…

Alphonse let go of Edward, who tried to reach out for him to tell him to stop, but he hesitated and lowered his arm, deciding to believe in his little brother. Alphonse then turned back to Kyubey and narrowed his eyes.

Kyubey – Since you're now the central point of karmic destiny… from numerous different timelines… no matter how enormous the wish, you will likely be able to make it come true.

Alphonse – It's true, right?

Kyubey – Now, Alphonse Elric… What is the wish that you will pay for… with your soul?

Alphonse stared at Kyubey determinedly.

Alphonse – I wish…

Alphonse took a step forward and took a deep breath before he once again gazed at Kyubey, pouring all of his determination into his words.

Alphonse – To erase all wraiths and witches before they are born… All the wraiths and witches in all the universes, both past and future… With my own hands!

Kyubey blinked and seemed to gasp in surprise. Edward also looked incredibly shocked; he had never heard Alphonse make a wish like this in any other timeline before. The center of Alphonse's chest then began to glow a very bright golden/white light as his Soul Timer began to form. The light however, shone even brighter than any other magical contractor Kyubey had ever contracted before.

Kyubey – That prayer… If a prayer like that were granted, it could unravel the fabric of time itself! It would go against the very force of karmic destiny! Do you truly intend to become a god?!

Alphonse closed his eyes, but kept his determined expression. His entire body was now glowing.

Alphonse – I don't care what I become. All those who have fought against wraiths and witches, who believed in hope as magical contractors… I don't want to see them cry. I want them to be smiling to the very end… If any rule or law stands in the way of that… I will destroy it. I will rewrite it. That is my prayer… That is my wish.

Alphonse then sharply opened his eyes with absolute determination.

Alphonse – Now! Grant my wish… INCUBATOR!

Kyubey raised up his ears as he fulfilled the contract. The bright golden/white light glowing from Alphonse then grew even bigger and quickly engulfed the entire area around it completely.

* * *

Once the light began to dim, Alphonse was shown sitting at the table in Roy's living room with a plate of homemade cake set in front of him.

Roy – Alphonse… do you truly understand the lengths you'll have to go through to fulfill that wish?

Alphonse – I think so.

Roy was then shown sitting across from Alphonse, serving him a glass of juice.

Roy – It means that throughout all of time, past and future, you will have to continue fighting forever. In the process of doing so, you will end up losing all traces of your individual self. Simply dying would be a much kinder fate. For all eternity, you will only be known as a mere concept–a principle that destroys wraiths and witches.

Alphonse smiled at Roy.

Alphonse – It's all right. That's what I intended to do from the start. If someone says it's wrong to have hope, then I'll tell them every single time that they're wrong. I know I'll always tell them so, too.

Riza – Then that's all you need to know.

Alphonse looked over, startled. He saw Riza sitting between him and Roy, gracefully eating a piece of cake. She smiled as she looked over at Alphonse.

Riza – If you really think you can do it, then go and do it. After all, you've found your reason to fight, right? And you've decided not to run away even knowing the risks?

Alphonse nodded.

Riza – Then there's no reason for you to hold back. Just trust your heart and let it guide you the rest of the way.

Alphonse – Right. Thank you, Hawkeye-san.

Roy – Then I guess it's time I finally gave this back to you.

Roy took out Alphonse's notebook containing his magical contractor designs and handed it back to him.

Alphonse – Thank you for taking care of it all this time, Mustang-san.

Roy – You're welcome.

Alphonse happily accepted his notebook.

Roy – You should know Alphonse, you aren't just granting us hope. You're becoming hope, itself.

Alphonse smiled even more happily as well did Roy and Riza.

Riza – Yes… The hope of us all.

Alphonse returned to the battlefield of Walpurgisnacht. He was now standing proudly and determinedly in his magical contractor armor with his golden/white Soul Timer strapped to his waist and his bow being held in his left hand. Golden/white sparkles of light were shining all around him as he stood and gazed at Walpurgisnacht. Edward watched his brother in awe as he tried to shield his eyes from the bright light. Kyubey continued to gaze at Alphonse as well. As Walpurgisnacht continued to fly around the city while laughing her usual laugh, the light surrounding Alphonse began to shine even brighter. His bow then grew even bigger than it ever did before and he formed a large light arrow as he took aim straight at the sky. Alphonse's magic circle appeared underneath his feet and another one appeared high in the air, hovering over him. Alphonse shot his single arrow straight into the magic circle hovering over him, which caused all the dark clouds to vanish and reveal the blue sky as large amounts of magic stored up in the magic circle. Then, a bunch of golden/white light arrows shot out of the circle, heading in all different directions across the globe.

In one region, a girl with green hair who was dressed in her magical contractor outfit had just collapsed onto the ground and changed back into her old clothes. The girl rolled over onto her back as she panted heavily. Her face and arms were covered in scratches and her Soul Timer was lying open in her left hand. The inside of her Soul Timer had just about completely darkened and the counting needle was positioned between the numbers eleven and zero. The girl opened her eyes and weakly turned her head to see her Soul Timer count down to zero and begin to crack. She then looked scared and began to cry, knowing that she would become a witch soon. But then, one of Alphonse's arrows flew down to the girl and turned into a hologram of Alphonse, who was smiling reassuringly at the girl as he hovered over her. She watched as he gently cupped her hand into both of his hands and all the black impurities from the her Soul Timer drained out, restoring the watch to it's natural green color. The counting needle didn't tick backwards however, and as soon as the Soul Timer was clean again, it disappeared in a small flash of green light along with the hologram of Alphonse. The girl looked shocked at first as she saw her Soul Timer vanish, but then she smiled and cried tears of happiness as she breathed her last breath. Her body then disappeared shortly afterwards.

More of Alphonse's arrows were shown traveling all across the world and through time as well. Another arrow appeared and transformed into Alphonse above a boy lying under a tree in the Savanna, who was still dressed in his magical contractor outfit, but the inside of his yellow Soul Timer, still strapped to his waist, had also just about turned completely black and the counting needle had just landed on zero as well. Alphonse hovered his hands over the boy's Soul Timer and purified it as well. The yellow Soul Timer disappeared once it was fully cleaned and the boy's eyes widened in slight shock for a moment before he smiled and cried tears of happiness as well just before he passed away. His body then disappeared a few seconds later, leaving no traces of him except for the carpet he was lying on.

Many more of Alphonse's arrows were shown traveling to many different cities and time periods. Three different arrows were seen appearing and transforming into Alphonse in front of three different magical contractors, each from different time periods. Alphonse smiled at each of them resuringly and cleaned each of their Soul Timers, which then disappeared and allowed the three magical contractors to happily and peacefully pass away.

Alphonse – **_I won't let your prayers end in despair._**

Two more magical contractors from past time periods going through wars or dark ages were then shown crying while holding their Soul Timers close to them.

Alphonse – **_None of you have to hate anyone, or curse anyone…_**

Important people from history that turned out to also be magical contractors such as Queen Himeko, Cleopatra, and Joan of Arc were shown bravely holding their Soul Timers as they looked to the sky with hope shining in their eyes.

Alphonse – **_I will bear all of that cursed destiny for you. So, please… To the very end, keep believing in yourselves!_**

Back with Walpurgisnacht, thousands of Alphonse's light arrows were still flying everywhere. Walpurgisnacht continued her maniacle laughter as she turned towards Alphonse's direction and began flying towards him. All of the arrows made direct hits with Walpurgisnacht as she flew closer to him, causing her doll form to be completely destroyed, leaving only the large gears behind. The big gears then turned sideways so that they directly faced Alphonse and Walpurgisnacht's laughter could still be heard, indicating that the large gears were possibly the giant witch's true body. Alphonse was now floating in the air, bright golden/white light was once again surrounding him, and he was gazing at Walpurgisnacht with kind eyes and a reassuring smile.

Alphonse – **_It's okay. It's all right now._**

Alphonse reached his arms out towards Walpurgisnacht.

Alphonse – **_You don't have to hate anyone anymore. You don't have to curse anyone anymore._**

A bunch of Walpurgisnacht's familars surrounded Alphonse and started to dance around him as his magic charged up once again.

Alphonse – **_I'll go back, before you turned into this, and take the burden of yours._**

The light around Alphonse grew even brighter and soon exploded, engulfing everything in its path. Edward struggled to keep his gaze on Alphonse as he tried to shield his eyes from the light and the wind as the bright light embraced him as well. Once the light finally began to dim, the universe was shown.

* * *

Edward was shown opening his eyes as he awoke from unconsciousness. He then gasped in shock and opened his eyes completely as he became aware that he was lying down on a rocky surface. Edward sat up and looked around curiously to try to make sense of his surroundings. The sky was pitch black but beaming every second with slightly white light and the grey rocky ground was full of craters, indicating that he was possibly standing on the moon.

Edward – This is…?

Kyubey – The universe is in the process of reordering itself… based on Alphonse's new laws.

Edward looked up at the sky once he heard Kyubey's voice. The sky then changed to show all of the stars and colors that normally filled space.

Kyubey – That's right… You are able to control time-crossing magic. Well, then, let us witness together… what kind of end the existence called Alphonse Elric will meet…

Far off in the distance, what looked like a white/golden comet surrounded by black streaks was shown shooting across the sky, but at a close distance it was shown that there were lots of dark colors blended in with the black streaks and the golden/white center of the comet.

Kyubey – That is the Soul Timer his prayer created.

Edward's entire expression filled with shock as he gazed at the comet-like Soul Timer.

Edward – What?! That?!

The comet Soul Timer flew closer to Edward as it raged on past him, showing all the murkey colors continuing to mix in with the black steaks.

Kyubey – Can you see all the cursed destinies he took unto himself, as the price for making such an enormous wish?

Edward watched the comet Soul Timer fly over his head with shock and disbelief as he listened to every word Kyubey was saying.

Kyubey – He was able to bring forth enough hope to give birth to an entire universe. Which is to say, it will also become enough despair to end the entire universe as well. It's only natural, right?

The comet Soul Timer was then shown heading straight towards Earth. As it raged on, the center of it began to crack and erupt more black streaks of despair. Murkey shadows then erupted all around the comet Soul Timer and began to take on an entirely new shape. Once the dark mass came close enough to Earth, the black shadows turned metalic and formed into what looked like an even more advanced and evil form of Ozone. This form of Ozone even had a face this time, which resembled a monstrous looking helmet to a suit of armor. The left half of Ozone's face seemed to be covered by shadows and the other half had an eye resembling the earth, and a mouth resembling the moon.

Edward ran across the moon to get a closer look, but then he stopped and stared in horror as he saw Ozone spread out his large arms and engulf Earth. Multiple maniacle laughs were heard as thousands of black streaks and shadows swarmed around the entire planet. Edward gripped his head with both of his hands and continued to stare in absolute horror as he helplessly watched his home about to be destroyed.

Alphonse – **_No, it's all right, Nii-san._**

Edward looked up in surprise with a small glint of hope showing in his eyes. He looked over to where he heard Alphonse's voice come from and saw a bright light glisten in the distance. Alphonse's hand was then shown petting one of Gertrud's cotton ball familiars.

Alphonse – **_My wish was to erase all wraiths and witches, remember?_**

The familiar then burst into a bunch of butterfly fragments and Alphonse was shown as an even larger, more holy-like, and silver colored suit of armor formed around his body. His hair also grew endlessly long but was kept up in a ponytail.

Alphonse – **_If that prayer really did come true… then even I…_**

Alphonse then closed his eyes and opened them again to reveal that the color of his eyes had changed to an even brighter golden/orange color as he turned towards the earth and Ozone. He narrowed his eyes as he reached his arm up and summoned his bow; it looked similar to his original one except for it was bigger and seemed to have a more holy structure. Two large white wings that looked as if they were made out of magical energy emerged from Alphonse's back. He then readied his bow and formed a giant light arrow as he took aim.

Alphonse – **_should have no reason to despair… EVER!_**

Alphonse's magic circle appeared in front of him and he shot his attack. Thousands of golden/white arrows streamed across the sky and made a direct hit with Ozone, destroying him before he could completely destroy the earth. Lots of light erupted from the explosion, embracing everything in its path including Edward, who was blown back after struggling to shield himself from the light and the wind once again. The bright light soon engulfed the entire universe.

* * *

Once the light dimmed, an entire space-area was shown, filled with all kinds of light colors and sparkles.

Kyubey – Alphonse… With this, your life has ceased to have either a beginning or end.

Alphonse opened his eyes and was shown floating upside down in the space area. Multiple duplicate images of him then appeared floating around the space area as well.

Kyubey – No trace of your life on Earth, nor a single memory of you will remain anywhere. Your existence has shifted onto a higher plane, and all that will be left of you here is a concept. No one will ever be aware of your presence again, and you will never be able to interact with anyone. You have ceased to exist in this universe.

All of Alphonse's duplicate images including his original body then disappeared. Edward was then shown entering the space area himself, his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief as he had just heard everything Kyubey had said.

Edward – What are you saying? That Al wished for such an ending?! You think this is a fair reward for everything he's done?! Like equivalent exchange?! Don't be ridiculous!

Edward was then shown floating in the light space area, dressed in white clothes rather than his magical contractor outfit. He was clenching his left fist and covering his eyes with his right arm, trying to hold back his tears as he began to cry.

Edward – This… is even worse… than death would have been…!

Alphonse then appeared behind Edward and put both of his hands on his brother's shoulders. He was also wearing similar white clothes to Edward's.

Alphonse – No, you're wrong, Nii-san.

Edward looked behind him in shock to see Alphonse smiling warmly and genuinely at him.

Alphonse – As I am now, I can see everything that ever has or will happen. Both the universes that could have been… and the universes that might one day be. All of them…

Edward – Al…

Alphonse – And that's why, I finally know…

Alphonse turned his head to his right side and Edward looked in the same direction. Bubbles that showed visions of every single timeline Edward went through and everything he did were shown.

Alphonse – just how much you've done for me and everyone else, in all those different timelines. All of it. How many times you cried, how often you ended up covered in injuries, every moment you tried to hide your pain and suffering even when you were forced to watch us all die… and yet, kept going for my sake…

Alphonse then wrapped his arms around Edward and hugged him.

Alphonse – I'm sorry I never knew until now… And I'm really sorry I forced you to make that terrible promise to me.

One bubble then showed the timeline when Edward promised Alphonse he would prevent him from making the contract and would keep him from recognizing him once they met in the next timeline.

Alphonse – I'm so sorry, Nii-san.

Edward widened his eyes for a second before he finally broke down. He then wrapped his own arms around Alphonse to return the hug as he cried even more, allowing his bottled up emotions to show in front of his little brother.

Edward – Idiot! You shouldn't be apologizing for anything! After all, I'm the one who failed you! I couldn't keep my promise…!

Alphonse – Nope, wrong again. Because I wouldn't have become this way if it weren't for you… And instead, I would have fallen down a road of despair. So in the end, you really did save me.

Alphonse then looked straight at Edward, who looked right back at him.

Alphonse – Nii-san… thank you! Even after we were first separated… you really have always been right there by my side, haven't you?

Edward – But still, as you are now… you no longer have a place to go home to, and you'll be separated from Mom, Dad, Sensei, and everyone else you love… to live trapped all alone in a place like this forever?! How the heck is that supposed to be fair?!

Alphonse smiled even more.

Alphonse – Because I'm not alone. All of you will always be with me. Because I will be everywhere at every moment from now on. So even if you can't see me or hear me, know that I'll be by your side, Nii-san.

Edward – Are you truly all right with that, Al? Even though I'll forget you and everything we've ever been through together? Even though I'll never even be able to sense you again?

Tears continued to fly from Edward's eyes as he spoke. Alphonse then shook his head.

Alphonse – It's too soon to give up yet. And I know you don't give up so easily, Nii-san. I want to make sure you don't forget about me as much as you do. But you managed to follow me all the way out here, didn't you? So even when you go back to your world… maybe you'll still be able to remember me.

Hope began to twinkle in Edward's eyes again as he listened to Alphonse, who then smiled even more.

Alphonse – But, just to be certain…

Alphonse held his hands out and a ball of light formed in it. The light then burst to reveal a small stuffed animal kitten taking its place. Edward gasped in shock as he stared at the toy kitten.

Edward – Th-that's…!

A memory then flashed through Edward's head.

_Hohenhiem was shown standing in front of the door to Alphonse's house, talking to Trisha. They were both saying their goodbyes to each other since it was the day Hohenhiem and Edward had left East City. A younger version of Edward and Alphonse were shown standing with their parents; Edward's hair was also short._

_Hohenhiem__ – __I'll keep in touch. So take care of Al and yourself._

_Trisha smiled at him._

_Trisha__ – __I'll be waiting. Make sure to raise Ed right._

_Hohenhiem__ – __Of course I will._

_Edward then walked closer to Alphonse, who was looking down at the floor sadly._

_Edward__ – __Hey, Al… Come on, big boys don't cry._

_Alphonse__ – __But… you're going away, Nii-san… And we won't be able to see each other again._

_Edward__ – __Of course we will! I'll make sure of that! There's no way I'm going away to never see you again!_

_Alphonse__ – __But, how do you know?_

_Edward smiled._

_Edward__ – Here__._

_Edward handed out a stuffed animal kitten he was holding in his arms to Alphonse._

_Alphonse__ – __Huh? Whiskers?_

_Edward__ – __That's right, Al. I'm giving him to you._

_Alphonse__ – __Huh?! No, Nii-san! Whiskers is your favorite toy! I can't take-_

_Edward__ – __It's all right. Besides, we used to share him all the time!_

_Alphonse__ – __Actually… you tried to hog him all to yourself all the time._

_Edward looked away with a guilty expression._

_Edward__ – __Okay… maybe I didn't like sharing him that much… But that's not the point! I'm giving him to you so that we'll always be connected, Al._

_Alphonse looked at Edward curiously._

_Edward__ – I know it might be impossible, but I read once that siblings who hare a really strong bond have a special connection between them that can be relayed by thoughts and emotions. So I came up with a hypothesis__…__ If one of us was holding a special item important to both of us like Whiskers__… then maybe we would be able to__ sense each other's feelings through him._

_Alphonse__ – Do you__ think it's true?_

_Edward__ – Dummy, I don't know__! But, if there's the slightest chance it is__… then we might as well__ find out, don't you think? And if it is true__… then __I especially want you to be the one to keep Whiskers, Al._

_Alphonse felt very touched by his brother's words. Edward's face then turned bright red, since it was kind of embarrassing for him to say those kinds of things._

_Alphonse__ – __Nii-san, do you really want me to have him?_

_Edward__ – __Yeah! I do! But you better make sure you take good care of him._

_Alphonse smiled and accepted the toy kitten from Edward._

_Alphonse__ – __I will, Nii-san._

_Edward gave a big smile to Alphonse._

_Edward__ – __Good! Make sure I can count on you, Al!_

The memory ended and Edward was shown still staring at Whiskers with tears continuing to form in his eyes.

Edward – You really kept him after all these years…?

Alphonse – Of course I did. After all, you were right, Nii-san. Every time I held Wiskers, I really could feel your feelings. I know that sounds impossible for you to believe now. But, I truly think I did, even just a little bit.

Edward – Al…

Alphonse – And now, it's time I gave him back to you, Nii-san.

Alphonse put Whiskers into Edward's hands. Edward then looked up at his brother surprisingly.

Edward – What? But, Al…!

Alphonse – I know that you gave him to me… but he really was yours from the beginning, Nii-san. Besides, now you'll be able to sense my feelings through him. I'm sure you'll be able to. It's equivalent exchange, right?

Edward's eyes widened even more.

Alphonse – It'll be all right. I know it will. Believe in me, Nii-san.

Edward nodded to Alphonse.

Alphonse – After all, magical contractors make hopes and dreams come true, don't they?

Alphonse then began to float away as his hands slid away from Edward's. Edward gasped in shock as he saw his little brother float away from him.

Alphonse – I know you and I stopped believing in stuff like that a long time ago… but I guess we've come to believe it once again now that we've become like this, haven't we? And I really do think that even if it's just a little one, real miracles can happen.

Edward reached out to Alphonse even though he couldn't fly any closer to him.

Edward – Al! Don't go!

The space area that Alphonse and Edward were in began to open up, showing the rest of the universe outside. Alphonse's body then began dissolving into sparkles of light as he floated further away.

Alphonse – I'm sorry… I've got to go meet all the others. I'll see you again one day, Nii-san. So for just a little while until then, I'll say good-bye.

Alphonse then completely disappeared and Edward was shown floating further away himself, indicating he was being brought back to his world. He continued to reach and cry out for his little brother as more tears flowed from his eyes.

Edward – ALPHONSE!

* * *

The new universe was then shown lighting up as the reformation of Alphonse's new laws were completed. Nothing looked too different as Earth and all of East City came into view, but it certainly did look just the way it was supposed to be.

Inside one of the main buildings, there were many decorations on the walls and lots of people were gathered together for what looked like a wedding ceremony. Maes was then shown standing at the end of the aisle dressed in a tuxedo with a big smile on his face as he watched Gracia walk down the aisle with her father. Everyone was smiling and admiring how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress. Gracia herself also looked very happy; she kept her gaze straight on Maes as she and her father continued to walk down the aisle while the wedding music played. Everyone watching the wedding was shown, but a spotlight appeared to be shining on the only two people sitting together in the back row.

Winry – I guess… I ended up causing you a lot of trouble huh, Al.

The two people were revealed to be Alphonse and Winry sitting next to each other as they watched the wedding.

Alphonse – No. I'm the one who should apologize, Winry. In order to save you, I had to leave things as if nothing has happened. As a result, this future would have to disappear as well.

Winry – What you call equivalent exchange, right?

Alphonse – Yeah. But, I thought it probably wasn't exactly what you wanted…

Gracia finally came up to Maes and the two took each other's hands as they smiled at each other and were about to say "I Do."

Alphonse – I think your wish and all the hard work you did for it were truly precious. It absolutely wasn't meaningless. So…

Winry watched with a smile on her face as Maes lifted up Gracia's veil and the two kissed. She then nodded.

Winry – Yeah. This is fine. Really. All I really wanted was for him to have the family he deserved… I wanted him to spend the rest of his life with the girl he deserved.

Everyone rose up from their seats to applaud and cheer for Maes and Gracia now that they were officially husband and wife. Alphonse and Winry rose up and clapped as well.

Winry – Just remembering that again is enough for me. Now I really don't have any regrets.

The area all around Alphonse and Winry then changed. Now the two were standing by some trees at a graveyard; it was near sunset. At a fair distance in front of them, Maes and Gracia were shown dressed in black and standing sadly in front of a certain grave.

Winry – Well, I guess there is one thing that bothers me… that I can't be there with them. I know I've probably caused them lots of pain, too. But I'm sure they'll be fine. Mom and Hughes-san… No… Mom and Dad are strong people. I'm sure they'll be very happy together.

Winry smiled even more and tears of happiness fell down her face as she watched her parents, though she wouldn't deny that she was still a little sad. Alphonse tuned his head towards her and smiled as well.

Alphonse – Yeah.

Gracia leaned down to the gravestone and placed a bouquet of flowers on it; the name written on the grave was shown to say Winry Rockbell, meaning that it was Winry's grave. Gracia soon began to cry after she placed the flowers down. Maes hugged her once she stood up and he began to cry as well. Winry wiped away her tears as she kept watching, but she didn't stop smiling.

Alphonse – Should we get going?

Winry – Yeah…

As Alphonse and Winry turned around and began to walk away, their bodies began to glow, and soon disappeared. Maes and Gracia were still embracing each other as they stayed by Winry's grave. Suddenly, Maes widened his eyes in shock, almost as if he had sensed or noticed something. Gracia then looked up at him in confusion.

Gracia – What's wrong, Maes?

Maes – Well… You might think I'm going crazy… But I could've sworn Winry was just standing nearby us.

Gracia looked surprised for a moment, then she gave a small smile.

Gracia – It seems I wasn't the only one after all.

Maes then looked surprised as well.

Maes – You felt it too?

Gracia nodded and looked at Winry's grave again.

Gracia – It was only for a brief second… But I felt as if Winry was watching the two of us… perhaps to say goodbye.

Meas smiled, then he and Gracia looked at each other after pulling away from their hug. They then looked up towards the sky, still smiling.

Maes – You know… I also thought that just faintly, I finally heard her call me Dad.

Tears began to leak from Maes's eyes as he looked up at the sky. Gracia looked at him for a second before she returned her gaze to the sky as well.

Gracia – I'm sure she did. After all… She is our daughter.

Maes – Yeah.

* * *

The head of some kind of monster was then shown burning in a firey explosion. Edward ubrubtly opened his eyes as if he was just waking up from a trance. As he took in his surroundings, he realized that he was lying on his back and being held by Riza, who was kneeling on the ground as she held him. Roy was also there, standing in front of the burning monster as it disappeared and the area around the three of them changed back into the train station. Edward's armored arm was gone and instead, another white glove that matched the one on his left hand was shown on his right hand. Once Riza noticed that he had woken up, her concerned expression quickly changed to shock and relief.

Riza – Edward-kun!

Riza turned her head towards Roy.

Riza – Sir, he's regained consciousness!

Roy quickly turned towards Edward and Riza with shock and relief filling his expression as well.

Roy – Thank goodness! Are you all right, Edward?

Edward sat up onto his knees and looked around curiously as the area finally turned back to normal.

Edward – Yeah… What happened?

Roy – Do you not remember?

Riza – You were knocked out cold during the fight.

Realization seemed to hit Edward as his memories returned.

Edward – Oh, that's right.

Edward rubbed his head with his right hand.

Edward – I guess I wasn't out for very-

Edward then widened his eyes with shock and confusion.

Edward – Wait. Where's Winry?

Roy and Riza looked down at the ground with small sad expressions, which made Edward even more restless.

Edward – Hey! What happened to Winry?!

Neither of the other two magical contractors dared to meet Edward's gaze, but Roy was the first to speak.

Roy – She's gone. She was led away by the indelible Law of the Cycle…

Edwards's eyes widened with shock, horror, and disbelief.

Edward – Wh-what?! No way! You're kidding, right?!

Roy didn't say anything for a moment and kept staring at the ground sadly.

Roy – You knew how much she had already weakened. Winry used up all her remaining power in that last attack.

Edward stared at the ground in utter shock and disbelief.

Edward – Th-that can't be… Tell me it's a lie. Right, Hawkeye?

Riza kept her gaze down at the ground as well and tears began riling up in her eyes.

Riza – I'm sorry, Edward-kun. I know how much she meant to you.

Edward continued to stare at Riza in horror until he finally turned his head down to the ground and looked at the floor with sadness and pain. Roy and Riza then turned their expressions away from him again.

Riza – Still, why did it have to come to this? She didn't have to let herself vanish just for her father… Not before us anyway.

Riza paused for a moment before she forced herself to talk again.

Riza – We were finally starting to become friends, too…

Roy – That is the fate of all magical contractors. You've known that since you first gained this power, surely. Before the hope we wished for summons an equivalent amount of misfortune, we have no choice but to vanish from this world.

Edward continued to stare sadly at the ground as he listened to Roy and Riza. Since they weren't looking, he reached inside his coat and took out Whiskers. Edward stared at the stuffed animal cat for a while as he let his thoughts wander.

Edward – (It's been a month… And now they're both gone…)

Edward then hugged Whiskers close to him, trying hard not to cry even though his shoulders were shaking uncontrollably.

Edward – Al…!

Roy and Riza finally turned their attention back to Edward after hearing him unknowingly call out his brother's name. They quickly ignored their sadness as their expressions filled up with confusion.

Roy – Edward? "Al"…?

Riza – Who's that?

* * *

The next day, it was evening and there were a few people standing by the riverside. Edward was sitting right at the top of the hill by the river, staring out into the sunset while holding Whiskers in his lap. Trisha was then shown walking down the path, but she stopped once she saw Edward.

Trisha – Ed?

Edward turned around and smiled once he saw his mother walk over to him.

Edward – Mom.

Trisha – What are you doing all the way out here?

Edward – Actually, I was just heading back home, but I thought I'd stop for a while to watch the sunset.

Trisha smiled.

Trisha – May I sit with you?

Edward – Yeah.

Trisha sat down next to Edward and looked out to the sunset as well.

Trisha – It's pretty isn't it?

Edward – Yeah. It's funny… I knew someone who always sat by the river whenever something was on his mind. And now here I am doing it myself.

Trisha turned her head to Edward and looked at him with a little curiosity.

Trisha – Who was it?

Edward – I've told you about him before, remember?

Trisha then smiled.

Trisha – Oh, I see. You mean that imaginary friend of yours, right?

Edward then blushed and turned towards his mom out of embarrassment.

Edward – Hey, Mom! Don't say it like that! It sounds childish!

Trisha – I'm sorry. But you don't have to be ashamed of it, Ed. It's not that unusual.

Edward – Maybe not for small children. But for me it's embarrassing.

Trisha giggled.

Trisha – It's okay. I used to do it, too. Besides, you still play with Whiskers too, don't you? He's even in your lap right now.

Edward's face remained red and he hugged Whiskers closer to him, then he smiled hoplessly.

Edward – You really are the only person who can get away with saying something like that.

Trisha – Really? What about Izumi-san?

Edward – Well… I can't argue with Sensei.

Trisha – How about your father?

Edward's face quickly turned serious.

Edward – Absolutely not.

Trisha giggled, then she looked up at the sky.

Trisha – What was his name again…? "Alphonse"… right?

The blush from Edward's face quickly disappeared and he smiled again.

Edward – Yeah. It feels like a name I've both heard and haven't heard…

Trisha – I see…

Trisha's smile then slightly disappeared, which Edward noticed.

Edward – What's wrong, Mom?

Trisha – Ed, you haven't been feeling lonely, have you?

Edward was taken back by his mother's question.

Edward – No. Well… It's not like that… I guess I just thought that maybe, someone was probably missing or something.

Trisha sighed in relief and smiled again.

Trisha – Thank goodness. But I think I understand. I think I've been feeling the same way. Sometimes… it seems to have such a nostalgic ring to it… "Alphonse"… If I had another son, maybe I would've named him that.

Edward smiled again and looked back out to the horizon.

Edward – I see…

Trisha then turned towards Edward again and her smile grew even bigger.

Trisha – By the way, Ed… There's something I should tell you.

Edward turned towards Trisha again and his face filled with curiosity.

Trisha – Van and I have decided to get back together.

Edward looked a little surprised for a moment, then he grinned.

Edward – So it's finally happening?

Trisha – Are you surprised?

Edward then stood up.

Edward – Are you kidding?! It's about time you finally realized it! Seriously, it took you both this long just to see that?! You and Dad are seriously hopeless!

Trisha looked surprised as she looked up at Edward, then she began to laugh.

Trisha – That's true. I suppose we are.

Edward looked down at his mother for a moment before he sat back down.

Trisha – How could I have not realized until now… Just how foolish I truly was? But you know… Van feels the same way.

Edward smiled again.

Trisha – In fact, he's still waiting for that punch in the face you swore to give him.

Edward then looked back out toward the sunset and softened his gaze even more.

Edward – No, that won't be necessary.

Whiskers was then shown up close as Edward held him in his arms and lap.

Edward – As long as you two make sure to admit your feelings to each other, anyway.

Trisha laughed again and Edward ket smiling as he looked up to the sky.

* * *

Later on that night, it was a full moon and Edward's Soul Timer was shown lying open on the ground. It was completely colored golden since it was in its transformed state and the impurities from the inside of the watch were slowly draining out and forming into a bunch of small black cubes that surrounded the Soul Timer as the counting needle ticked back counterclockwise.

Kyubey – I see. Theoretically, I suppose the system you described could have worked.

Edward's hand was then shown picking up one of the black cubes, which wasn't absorbing any more impurities.

Edward – Like I said, it's not theoretical. It's the truth.

Edward, who was sitting at the top of a tall crane near a contruction site and already transformed into his magical contractor outfit, then threw the black cube behind him. Kyubey's back was then shown swallowing the cube, much like how it used to swallow Grief Gears.

Kyubey – Even so, we have no way of proving it. If the laws of the universe really changed the way you say they did, there's no method we could use to verify that. And since you are the only one who remembers that world… there's no way to tell if your memories are real or a fairytale you just imagined.

Edward didn't respond and just closed his eyes as he threw another black cube at Kyubey, who swallowed it as well.

Kyubey – Well, it is true… that we can't explain why Soul Timers shatter when they become too sullied. But that "wraith" and "witch" concept you mentioned in your story is quite interesting. As a means of collecting human emotional energy, it certainly has its appeal! If such a lucrative means of harvesting energy had been available to us… we Incubators might have employed a very different strategy for all of this…

Edward turned his head to look at Kyubey, though he didn't glare at the incubator like he used to.

Edward – Of course you would have. That's the sort of creatures you are, after all…

Kyubey – But in that wraith and witch world you were describing, there weren't any demons like the ones we fight here, right? So collecting curses must have been a much faster process!

Edward closed his eyes and turned away from Kyubey again.

Edward – It wasn't that simple. And our relationship with you was fairly rocky as well.

Kyubey tilted his head to the side in confusion.

Kyubey – I guess it really is impossible to understand human values.

Roy – (Hey, Edward. Are you there?)

Edward opened his eyes and his expression grew serious once he heard Roy speak to him through telepathy.

Edward – (Yeah. How's the situation, Mustang?)

Roy was then shown wearing his magical contractor outfit, standing in front of multiple big, completely white monsters that looked like bald men with misshaped faces wearing long robes.

Roy – (Just as I suspected. There's a large raid of demons over in this area. It won't be easy fighting all of them at once.)

Edward – (What about Hawkeye?)

Riza – (I'm pretty packed myself.)

Riza was then shown also wearing her magical contractor clothes and already fighting off another fleet of demons.

Riza – (There's a giant herd of them in my position as well.)

Edward was then shown sitting on the crane once again.

Riza – (I've sensed more heading in your direction. We'll need you to take care of those ones.)

Edward – (It looks like we've got our hands full. Don't worry. Leave it to me.)

Roy – (Are you sure you can handle it? It may be difficult to take out that many demons for someone at your stature.)

Edward's expression then filled up with pure rage. Even though he couldn't see him, Edward could already picture the smug grin on Roy's face just from hearing the tone of his voice as he purposely mocked his height again.

Edward – (WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT HE COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR A MOUSE WHO'S TOO DUMB TO REALIZE HE'S HEADING STRAIGHT INTO A MOUSE TRAP BECAUSE HIS ONLY THOUGHTS ARE ON THE CHEESE THE TRAP LAYS OUT FOR HIM?!)

Roy was then shown again and just as Edward predicted, he was grinning.

Roy – (I'm just stating the facts, Edward. It's unlikely that there are many magical contractors as short as you who can bring that much damage to that many demons.)

Edward's anger rose even further.

Edward – (DAMN YOU, MUSTANG! DON'T CALL ME SHORT!)

Riza – (That's enough, you two! Your constant bickering will only further strengthen the enemy's power. So do your jobs right or I might just come over there myself!)

Riza was shown once again. Slicing through more demons as she lectured Edward and Roy.

Edward – (Right, sorry.)

Roy – (U-understood, Hawkeye.)

The nervous tones could be heard from both Edward and Roy's voices. Roy was then shown back in his location and a look of concern appeared on his face.

Roy – (But, these demons are hard enough to to take down alone. Be careful, Edward.)

Edward – (I know. Thank you, you two.)

Edward was then shown back in his location as well and he threw all the remaining black cubes that were cleaning his Soul Timer into the air since they were done absorbing the impurities. Kyubey swallowed every single cube as they fell into his back. Edward then picked up his now fully cleaned and wound up Soul Timer and looked at it for a while.

Edward – (Just because wraiths and witches are no longer born into this world… it doesn't mean the curses of mankind have ceased to exist.)

Edward closed his Soul Timer and reattached it to his waist. Then he stood up and looked upon East City.

Edward – (The distortions of this world have merely changed form, and now attack people from the depths of the darkness…)

A bunch of demons were then shown appearing; many were walking down multiple highways, others were rising up from the ground, and a few more were sitting upon a few buildings. Edward narrowed his eyes in determination as he watched the demons appear, while Kyubey climbed up onto his shoulder

Kyubey – The miasma is pretty thick tonight. Honestly, these demons just keep on coming! No matter how many we beat, there's no end to it.

Edward – Your complaining isn't going to help. Come on, let's go.

Edward then jumped off the crane, towards the ground with Kyubey clinging onto his shoulder.

Edward – (Though this irredeemable world… continues repeating its hatred and tragedies… this is still the place that he once tried to protect… And even now… it remains as the place I still want to protect as well.)

Just before Edward reached the ground, a pair of white-feathered wings that were glowing slight golden light sprouted from his back and allowed him to gently glide to the ground before they disappeared. A bunch of demons then surrounded him, but a swirl of golden light quickly burst from his body. Once the light disappeared, Edward was standing up while holding a bow that looked similar to Alphonse's, but had different designs that matched his magic more.

Edward – (I remember that.)

Edward readied his bow and formed an arrow made of pure golden light.

Edward – (And I will never forget it.)

Edward then took aim at all the demons standing around him and his magic circle appeared underneath his feet. The fire raged in his determined eyes once again as he and Kyubey stared at the disoriented monsters.

Edward – (That is why… I will keep fighting.)

Edward shot his arrow.

* * *

There were multiple dark clouds in the sky and sand quietly blew across the empty desert. A figure was shown walking across the sandy plain and at a closer range, the figure was revealed to be Edward. The sounds of despairful moaning could be heard and bunch of demons were shown in front of him, walking towards him as well. As Edward continued on his way towards the large monsters, a pair of black wings sprouted from his back that seemed to be made out of a large mass of inky blackness mixed with lots of other murkey colors and had designs that normally appeared in a wraith or a witch's labyrinth.

Alphonse – **_Do your best…_**

Though his bangs were covering his eyes, Edward looked a little startled once he heard Alphonse's voice, but then he smiled, knowing that his precious little brother was cheering him on. He finally stopped walking and after a second, a large gust of wind blew from Edward and he leaped into the air. His large black wings carried him over to the demons in front of him and he began to fight them. The murkiness from his wings then seemed to spread and soon it covered the entire area, leaving everything in sight showing only all the wraith and witch-like designs flowing within the murky colors. Everything in sight then turned white.

**Don't forget.**

**Always, somewhere,**

**someone is fighting for you.**

**As long as you remember him,**

**you are not alone.**

* * *

**WE ARE DOOOONNNNNEEEEEE! FINISHED! IT IS FINISHED!**

**I want to thank all of you so much for all of your support and feedback, and I hope you enjoyed my story. Don't worry, it's not over yet****… Stay tuned and look forward to the sequel: "Fullmetal Magi Alpgonse Magica The Rebellion." But I must warn you, there will be quite a bit of changes to this sequel that will stray from the main storyline. Even so, I hope you will still find it as enjoyable as you found this story.**

**I thought what I did with Alphonse's god form and Ozone's final form was creative, but just in case any of you have different ideas, you can tell me. Also, I'm sorry I had to make Winry die again just like Sayaka, but it is for a good cause: It is needed for the Rebellion plot, even though by doing this I took away the two people who are more important to Edward than anyone Whaaaaaaaa!(Crying) But when I think about it, that is also necessary for the Rebellion plot.**

**Anyway, thank you again. I hope so see you all again real soon. But for now, farewell!**


	13. Rebellion Preview

**Hi again! Sorry, but this is not an extra chapter. However, it is even BETTER!**

**Since I made it past a thousand views with this story I wanted to give you guys something special before the start of "Fullmetal Magi Alphonse Magica The Rebellion Story."**

**So… Here you go! A special sneak peak PREVIEW! ENJOY!**

* * *

Edward – Wraiths and witches… They who spread despair and give rise to disaster. They are the final, accursed forms of magical contractors who have given in to despair. In the past, I fought to overturn this cruel destiny by repeating the same period of time over and over again. Until finally, it all ended when one boy sacrificed himself, breaking the cruel cycle of hope and despair. And the world should have been led to a new order. However…

Roy – Don't even think of trying to pursue her. Otherwise, you'll end up having to fight me.

Riza – Is that May Chang's nightmare?

Winry – May's really having a hard time, isn't she? Well, it's not very surprising considering she has such oblivious parents.

Kyubey – Isn't this the power of these "wraiths" and "witches" you once explained to us?

Riza – It doesn't seem like you're teasing me. You're serious, aren't you?

Edward – In this irredeemable world, forever repeating its tragedies and hatred, I dreamt that I encountered that familiar smile once again.

Alphonse – _**I'm sorry for making you wait so long. **_**_You've worked so hard all this time._**

Edward – Al…

Alphonse – **_Now, lets go. From now on, we'll always be together._**

* * *

**Aaaaannnnnnddddddd****… There you have it.**

**I know it's short, but cut me some slack. It's a preview. Until the real deal! See you soon!**


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